Fitness Center Feasibility Study in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA Metro Area

Des Moines: fitness near the top of the class order

Between FY2017 and FY2026, Des Moines borrowers received 54 SBA-approved fitness center loans worth $26.1 million. Nationally, Des Moines sits 47 of 608 for fitness center loans; within Des Moines, the class is 3 of 39. Des Moines leans hard on fitness center: the location quotient of 2.01x dwarfs a national-level share. The location quotient is the standout figure here, far above the national mix. Polk County, IA carries 45 of the loans.

At the median, a Des Moines loan is $272,000; the quartile band is $90,250 to $503,750. Against the national class median, Des Moines stands at 1.05x, almost level. In Des Moines, 7(a) covers 47 loans and 504 covers 7. The mix leans toward brand-backed clubs. Brand affiliation shows on 51.9% of the loans in Des Moines.

One lender named

The one named holder is The Huntington National Bank, under 7(a). 8 loans for $2.6 million at The Huntington National Bank hold the 7(a) loans shown. In Des Moines, each line shows what SBA lists, files only, never practices.

Des Moines publishes no cancellation or loss rate, leaving the cell unmeasured. FY2020 (7 loans, $4.4 million), FY2022 (5 loans, $3.3 million), FY2025 (8 loans, $2.2 million), and FY2026 (9 loans, $7.2 million) appear in the yearly record. For Des Moines, omitted years rest on thin counts. Des Moines totals follow the July 2023 delineation, and unplaced projects go missing.

Des Moines study: the key tests

Membership demand should come from nearby households in Polk County, then be checked against rival clubs and boutique studios, since a class this prominent locally attracts competition. Retention matters more than sign-ups, so the study should show churn assumptions and the effect of a slow summer. A franchise concept brings its own fee and remodel schedule that belongs in the budget. Equipment and leasehold work age on different clocks, so debt service should be matched to useful life, and presale months deserve their own schedule. Valuation usually rests on leasehold improvements. The Polk County evidence should also show how many members the floor can hold at peak hours, since crowding limits growth. Where a class is this common, rivals have likely claimed the obvious corners, so site selection, parking and visibility deserve their own section of the study.