NAICS 713940

Fitness & Recreational Sports Centers in Berkeley, CA

The 5 ZIP codes assigned to Berkeley contained 21 Gyms & Fitness establishments in 2023, of which 4 employed 10 or more people.

Establishments (2023)
21
5 ZIP codes
10 or more employees
4
Practical financing floor
Share of county
9%
Alameda County
City population
121,911
2025 estimate

Figures cover the ZIP codes the U.S. Postal Service assigns to Berkeley (94702, 94703, 94704, 94705, 94710). ZIP areas are not municipal boundaries: they can extend beyond city limits and are shared between neighbouring places. This is a count of establishments in Berkeley's ZIP codes, not a count of businesses inside its city limits.

Establishments by size

Employee-count distribution. For most buyers the businesses worth pursuing sit in the 5 to 49 range: large enough to have a manager and real systems, small enough to be owner-operated.

EmployeesEstablishmentsShareDistribution
20-49419.0%

How this market compares

Berkeley against every other city in California on the same measure. City figures cover the ZIP codes assigned to the place rather than its municipal boundary, so they are compared as a share of the businesses in those same ZIP codes rather than per resident. Cities with fewer than 500 businesses in total are left unranked.

Typical0.49% of local businesses, against 0.48% statewide

About the same slice of the local business base as the industry holds statewide.

Vs state share
+3%
Share of local businesses
Rank by count
#48
of 282 cities
Rank by share
#160
of 266 ranked
Since 2020
+24%
Change in establishments

This compares how much of Berkeley’s business base is fitness & recreational sports centers, against the California figure. Base: 4,279 establishments across all industries in the same ZIP codes, 2023. It does not measure revenue, profitability or whether a market is worth entering.

Business size mix

Berkeley is more consolidated than California as a whole: fewer micro-operators and a larger share of businesses with real headcount. Fewer targets, but the ones that exist are more likely to be financeable.

Share of establishmentsBerkeleyCaliforniaDifference
Under 5 employeesOwner-operated, often no management layer0.0%28.6%-28.6%
5 to 49 employeesThe range most individual buyers target19.0%26.5%-7.4%
10 or more employeesPractical floor for acquisition financing19.0%18.8%+0.2%

Nearest comparable markets

The closest places to Berkeley that also have Gyms & Fitness establishments on record. Useful for spotting a gap next door, or realising the market you are looking at is already served from the town over.

MarketEstablishmentsVs state share
Emeryville7+19%
Albany6+149%
El Cerrito3+6%
Richmond8+8%
San Pablo4+4%

The wider Alameda County market

Employment and payroll are reported at county level only, so the figures below describe the county Berkeley sits in.

County establishments (2023)
244
Alameda County
County employees
3,895
Mid-March employment
County annual payroll
$89M
All establishments
Full Gyms & Fitness data for Alameda County

What acquirers look at

Membership deferred revenue is a real liability that must be pegged at closing. Boutique studios depend heavily on individual instructors.

Other industries in Berkeley

Nearby cities

Sources

  1. U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ZIP Code Business Patterns. Establishment counts and size distribution by ZIP code and NAICS, aggregated over the ZIP codes assigned to each city. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  2. U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 County Business Patterns. Establishment counts, employment and annual payroll by NAICS. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  3. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (2026Q1). Quarterly establishment counts and employment for employers covered by unemployment insurance. Retrieved 2026-09-08.