In some cities, apartments with pools and gyms are considered a luxury, while in others, fitness amenities are basically considered a nonnegotiable part of apartment living.
To determine the cities with the most apartments with access to fitness amenities, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data compiled by the apartment rental site RentCafe. Using data sourced in turn from the commercial real estate data and research company Yardi Matrix, RentCafe analyzed large-scale multifamily apartment communities of 50 units or more in almost 4,000 cities across the country. The share of rentals with access to some type of on-site fitness amenity was calculated from the total number of rental apartments in the specified locations that were completed through January 2022.
The cities with the most apartments with access to sports amenities have populations between 15,000 and 550,000 and tend to be concentrated in a few geographical areas. Apartments in the Southwest are especially well-equipped with sports amenities. Cities in Texas and Arizona dominate this list, followed by some in California and Nevada. A few cities appearing here are in the Southeast, but none are in the northern U.S. (For a variety of reasons beyond apartment amenities, these are the best cities to live.)
According to RentCafe, pools were the most common fitness amenity offered. While 60% of apartments in the rental communities considered by the study have gyms, 69% of them have pools. In some places on this list, high temperatures in the summer can reach more than 100º F. It’s understandable why pools could be in such high demand.
The next most common amenities are spas (25%) and tennis courts (17%) – and 1% of the apartments are connected to golf courses. (These are the 35 best cities to go golfing.)
Apartments with fitness amenities may be seen as luxuries in many parts of the country, but the cities on this list have a wide range of median household incomes, suggesting that being able to keep fit conveniently is important to many renters, regardless of their financial situation.
20. Tucson, AZ
> Share of apartments with access to sports facilities: 98% (tied)
> Total apartments with access to amenities: 65,000
> Total population: 541,482
19. Henderson, NV
> Share of apartments with access to sports facilities: 98% (tied)
> Total apartments with access to amenities: 26,000
> Total population: 300,116
18. Lewisville, TX
> Share of apartments with access to sports facilities: 98% (tied)
> Total apartments with access to amenities: 25,000
> Total population: 106,386
17. Carrollton, TX
> Share of apartments with access to sports facilities: 98% (tied)
> Total apartments with access to amenities: 18,000
> Total population: 135,834
16. McKinney, TX
> Share of apartments with access to sports facilities: 98% (tied)
> Total apartments with access to amenities: 18,000
> Total population: 182,055
15. Round Rock, TX
> Share of apartments with access to sports facilities: 98% (tied)
> Total apartments with access to amenities: 13,000
> Total population: 124,434
14. Boca Raton, FL
> Share of apartments with access to sports facilities: 98% (tied)
> Total apartments with access to amenities: 13,000
> Total population: 97,468
13. Irvine, CA
> Share of apartments with access to sports facilities: 99% (tied)
> Total apartments with access to amenities: 42,000
> Total population: 273,157
12. Mesa, AZ
> Share of apartments with access to sports facilities: 99% (tied)
> Total apartments with access to amenities: 40,000
> Total population: 499,720
11. Plano, TX
> Share of apartments with access to sports facilities: 99% (tied)
> Total apartments with access to amenities: 38,000
> Total population: 287,064
10. Scottsdale, AZ
> Share of apartments with access to sports facilities: 99% (tied)
> Total apartments with access to amenities: 27,000
> Total population: 250,602
9. Cary, NC
> Share of apartments with access to sports facilities: 99% (tied)
> Total apartments with access to amenities: 16,000
> Total population: 166,268
8. Humble, TX
> Share of apartments with access to sports facilities: 99% (tied)
> Total apartments with access to amenities: 14,000
> Total population: 15,864
7. Paradise, NV
> Share of apartments with access to sports facilities: 99% (tied)
> Total apartments with access to amenities: 10,000
> Total population: 235,087
6. Tempe, AZ
> Share of apartments with access to sports facilities: 100% (tied)
> Total apartments with access to amenities: 36,000
> Total population: 187,454
5. Chandler, AZ
> Share of apartments with access to sports facilities: 100% (tied)
> Total apartments with access to amenities: 23,000
> Total population: 252,692
4. Katy, TX
> Share of apartments with access to sports facilities: 100% (tied)
> Total apartments with access to amenities: 22,000
> Total population: 20,202
3. Frisco, TX
> Share of apartments with access to sports facilities: 100% (tied)
> Total apartments with access to amenities: 22,000
> Total population: 177,020
2. Duluth, GA
> Share of apartments with access to sports facilities: 100% (tied)
> Total apartments with access to amenities: 17,000
> Total population: 29,370
1. Tustin, CA
> Share of apartments with access to sports facilities: 100% (tied)
> Total apartments with access to amenities: 9,000
> Total population: 79,863
Methodology
To find the cities with the most apartments with access to sports amenities, 24/7 Tempo reviewed RentCafe.com’s data on apartments with sports amenities. RentCafe.com looked at apartments located in rental communities with at least one on-site fitness amenity and cities with less than 50 multifamily properties were not included in the analysis. The share of rentals with access to some type of on-site fitness amenity was calculated from the total number of rental apartments in the specified locations that were completed through January 2022.