The metro areas with the most gyms
Why it matters: Gyms offer city dwellers a way to get and stay healthy, and can serve as excellent "third places" — a spot to hang out and connect outside home or work.
By the numbers: The Bridgeport metro's got 27.5 gyms for every 100,000 residents, Boston has 20.6 and San Diego has 20.4.
San Juan (4.3); Lakeland, Florida (6.2); and McAllen, Texas (6.6) have the fewest gyms for every 100,000 people.
How it works: These figures represent "fitness and recreational sports centers" in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages data for Q3 2024.
Axios looked at metro areas with at least 500,000 residents, for which BLS had sufficient data.
What's next: The latest crop of high-end gyms are setting themselves up as both a place to pump iron and take work meetings — though hopefully not at the same time.
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