Gym Membership Demographics: Must-Know Facts

These gym membership demographics come from the Health & Fitness Association (HFA), which surveys about 18,000 US residents aged six and older every year, balanced to the US population by gender, age, income, region, and ethnicity. We've added context from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) where it helps.

Below you'll find who belongs to a gym by age, gender, income, and background, where different groups train, what they do there, and why they work out. Then we'll cover what these patterns mean for gym and studio owners, and for anyone setting up a training space at home.

Gym Membership Demographics at a Glance

Sources: HFA 2026 consumer report, HFA 2025 headline trends, and HFA 2025 expanded insights.

How Many Americans Belong to a Gym

A record 81 million Americans held a fitness facility membership in 2025, up 5.2% from 2024. Counting non-members who used facilities through day passes, guest privileges, and other options, more than 100 million people used a gym or studio during the year.

Membership grew 20% between 2019 and 2024, according to HFA. For the full picture on growth, visits, and costs, see our gym membership statistics.

Gym Membership by Age

Age is where the biggest shifts are happening. The youngest adults have the highest membership rate, and the oldest members are the fastest-growing group.

Gen Z and younger adults

More than a third of adults aged 18 to 24 belong to a fitness facility, the highest rate of any age group. HFA also found that teens and Gen X adults led the growth in small-group training in 2024.

Adults 65 and older

Members aged 65 and older grew 8.6% in 2025, faster than any other age group. According to ACSM, the baby boomer generation includes 73 million Americans, all of whom will be over 65 by 2030. ACSM also cites the 2023 IHRSA consumer report, which found that adults 65 and older visit gyms and studios more often than any other age group.

ACSM ranks fitness programs for older adults as the #2 trend for 2026. It cites a 2024 industry report finding that programs labeled "low intensity," "functional," or "active aging" consistently attract more participants than those called "senior fitness," and it recommends resistance training, balance and mobility work, and low-impact cardio for this group.

Gym Membership by Gender

Across the whole industry, the gender split is roughly even, according to HFA. The differences show up by facility type:

• Studios are increasingly female-driven.
• Multipurpose, corporate, and nonprofit facilities skew male.
• Personal training grew fastest among women in 2024, up 15.9% to 7.3 million participants.

HFA also reports that the typical member has trended more male in recent years, even as studios become increasingly female-driven and women account for much of the growth in personal training.

Gym Membership by Income

Income still shapes who belongs, but the picture is widening.

HFA says lower-income participation has increased modestly, supported by expanded access through employer programs, community centers, and insurance partnerships. It also notes that the typical member has trended less affluent in recent years. HFA's leadership has said that for millions of Americans, the cost of access remains a barrier.

Race and Ethnicity

HFA reports that racial and ethnic diversity among members is rising, particularly in studios and workplace fitness centers, which it describes as gateways for groups historically underrepresented in traditional gyms. The typical member has trended more ethnically diverse in recent years.

Where Different Members Train

Studios became the largest facility type by membership in 2024, just ahead of fitness-only gyms.

What Members Do at the Gym

HFA's 2025 expanded insights show how members train, and where the mix is moving.

In 2024, 43.4% of members used treadmills and 32.1% trained with dumbbells or free weights, the two most-used options. Pilates reached 8.1% of members. In 2025, HFA reported that free weights have grown faster than any other equipment category since 2021, and yoga remained the most widely practiced activity at 17.7 million members.

Free weights, yoga, and Pilates are all formats where a full-length mirror lets you see your own form and alignment as you train.

Why People Work Out

ACSM cites a national survey where 78% of exercisers named mental or emotional well-being as their top reason for working out, ahead of physical fitness or appearance. Exercise for mental health moved up two spots to #6 on ACSM's 2026 trends list.

Membership also lines up with more activity. HFA found that 49.4% of members meet federal aerobic guidelines, compared with 24.5% of non-users, and members are seven times less likely to report no activity at all:

ACSM also reports that mobile exercise app users tend to be younger, female, college-educated, and living in urban areas, with lower adoption among older adults.

How Often Members Go

Average attendance settled at about 1.5 visits per week in 2024, down from 2.1 in 2019. HFA says many Americans now supplement gym visits with outdoor, at-home, and sport-based activity. At the same time, total visits reached nearly 7 billion in 2025, and the share of members who didn't use their membership at all fell to a record low of 4.6%. More on that in our unused gym membership statistics.

What These Demographics Mean for Gym and Studio Owners

Each group in the data points to a specific kind of space:

• Gen Z: the highest membership rate of any age group (35.5%), and part of a membership base HFA describes as trending younger.
• Adults 65 and older: the fastest-growing group (+8.6%). ACSM recommends resistance, balance, and mobility work, and cites a 2024 industry report finding that "active aging" or "functional" program names draw more participants than "senior fitness."
• Women: studios are increasingly female-driven, and women accounted for much of the 2024 growth in personal training (+15.9% to 7.3 million).
• Strength and mind-body: free weights are the fastest-growing equipment category, and yoga is the most practiced activity.

If you're outfitting strength or studio space for these members, here's what goes into our mirrors. They're 1/4-inch (6mm) glass, the professional grade used in commercial gyms and studios, with flat-polished edges and a safety backing film that holds the glass together if it's hit, so it webs instead of breaking into loose shards. They're annealed rather than tempered, because tempering large mirrors can cause optical distortion. For more on how mirrors help in training, see why you need a mirror for exercise.

Our mirrors are trusted by brands including Four Seasons, Anytime Fitness, Snap Fitness, Club Pilates, YWCA, and Delta. Choose the Commercial project type in our builder, or call us for a free quote on larger jobs.

What These Demographics Mean for Home Gym Owners

Many members now mix gym visits with at-home workouts. In Finder's January 2021 survey, 54.1% of Americans said they had gym equipment at home, and free weights were the most common piece, owned by 62.1% of those with equipment.

If you train with free weights, yoga, or Pilates at home, a mirror wall lets you check your form without a coach. Here's what our turn-key setups cost, with delivery and professional installation:

Those totals assume a standard install on drywall. Concrete, concrete block, and brick walls add $50 per mirror, a premium top J-channel adds $30 per mirror, and outlet cutouts are $150 each. Shop Pay installments are available at checkout.

For the bigger industry picture, including global growth and 2026 trends, read our fitness industry insights.

Gym Membership Demographics FAQs

What age group goes to the gym the most?

By membership rate, Gen Z adults aged 18 to 24 lead at 35.5% in 2025, according to HFA. By visit frequency, ACSM cites the 2023 IHRSA report finding that adults 65 and older visit gyms and studios more often than any other age group.

Which age group is growing fastest?

Members aged 65 and older grew 8.6% in 2025, the fastest of any age group.

Are more men or women gym members?

HFA says the gender balance is roughly even across the industry. Studios are increasingly female-driven, while multipurpose, corporate, and nonprofit facilities skew male.

What income level do most gym members have?

Households earning over $75,000 hold just over half of all memberships, according to HFA's 2024 data. Growth has accelerated among middle-income households.

Is gym membership becoming more diverse?

Yes. HFA reports rising racial and ethnic diversity, particularly in studios and workplace fitness centers, and says the typical member has trended more ethnically diverse.

What percentage of Americans have a gym membership?

26.1% of Americans aged six and older held a fitness facility membership in 2025, up from 24.9% in 2024.

Why do people go to the gym?

ACSM cites a national survey where 78% of exercisers named mental or emotional well-being as their top reason for working out.

How many gym members use a personal trainer?

In 2024, 22.6% of members worked with a personal trainer, a record high. Women accounted for much of the growth, up 15.9% to 7.3 million participants.