CORE NUMBERS
San Antonio ranks among cities with fewest gyms per capita in America
San Antonio has fewer places to work out than most cities in the United States.
It’s not just the Tex-Mex and barbecue. According to a new study from fitness marketing software company Cinch, San Antonians have more struggles staying in shape due to less access to gyms and other fitness centers.
The report crunched the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify each city’s concentration of gyms and evaluate the health impact to each metro.
San Antonio was among the bottom 10 of the 53 cities listed, coming in at No. 47. According to the report, the town only has 293 gyms to serve a metropolitan population of more than 2.6 million people.
The lack of facilities is correlated to worse health outcomes for the city’s citizens. Cinch researchers say cities with higher concentrations of gyms tend to report higher levels of physical activity, lower obesity rates, and better overall health.
The study says that 77.5 percent of San Antonian adults are considered to be in good health, and only 73 percent of locals are physically active. That tracks with a 2022 Bexar Country health assessment that stated 72 percent of residents are either obese or overweight.
The only Texas city to score lower on the per capita list was Houston, which came just below San Antonio at No. 49. The study reported similar fitness outcomes with 77.8 percent of Houstonians considered to be in good health and 72.6 percent physically active. The 7.3 million-plus populated region only had 754 gyms.
While Dallas landed in the low middle of the pack, the Capital City bested all other Texas cities when it came to pumping iron. Boasting a No. 9 slot on the list, Austin had an impressive 418 gyms serving more than 2.4 million people, contributing to 85.2 percent being in good shape and 78.7 percent being active.
