NAICS 713940

Fitness & Recreational Sports Centers in Walnut Creek, CA

The 3 ZIP codes assigned to Walnut Creek contained 38 Gyms & Fitness establishments in 2023, of which 7 employed 10 or more people.

Establishments (2023)
38
3 ZIP codes
10 or more employees
7
Practical financing floor
Share of county
22%
Contra Costa County
City population
70,012
2025 estimate

Figures cover the ZIP codes the U.S. Postal Service assigns to Walnut Creek (94596, 94597, 94598). 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 Walnut Creek'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
1-41642.1%
5-9513.2%
10-19718.4%

How this market compares

Walnut Creek 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.

Densely served0.95% of local businesses, against 0.48% statewide

This industry takes up a far larger slice of the local business base than it does statewide. A crowded market: expect established competitors and price pressure, but also a deeper pool of businesses to buy.

Vs state share
+99%
Share of local businesses
Rank by count
#20
of 282 cities
Rank by share
#22
of 266 ranked
Since 2020
+12%
Change in establishments

This compares how much of Walnut Creek’s business base is fitness & recreational sports centers, against the California figure. Base: 4,012 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

Walnut Creek is more fragmented than California as a whole: a larger share of very small operators. Fragmented markets are where roll-ups are assembled, and where an owner nearing retirement has no obvious internal buyer.

Share of establishmentsWalnut CreekCaliforniaDifference
Under 5 employeesOwner-operated, often no management layer42.1%28.6%+13.5%
5 to 49 employeesThe range most individual buyers target31.6%26.5%+5.1%
10 or more employeesPractical floor for acquisition financing18.4%18.8%-0.4%

Nearest comparable markets

The closest places to Walnut Creek 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
Pleasant Hill8+48%
Lafayette10+96%
Concord23+36%
Moraga3n/a
Orinda6+119%

The wider Contra Costa County market

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

County establishments (2023)
176
Contra Costa County
County employees
2,654
Mid-March employment
County annual payroll
$62M
All establishments
Full Gyms & Fitness data for Contra Costa 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 Walnut Creek

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.