SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · MARYLAND
GOLD'S GYM franchise in Maryland: what the public record shows
Franchisees of GOLD'S GYM in Maryland have taken 5 SBA loans since 1991 (average $425,000)— too few resolved loans in-state to publish a local failure rate (we require a resolved cohort, never extrapolate), so the brand's national rate of 14.7% is the better guide. Its latest FDD Item 20 state table reports 12 franchised outlets in Maryland (fiscal 2025) — about 0.19 per 100k residents.
Loans in MD
5
Resolved
5
Local charge-off
thin
National charge-off
14.7%
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = MD. Charge-off rate = charged-off ÷ (charged-off + paid-in-full); open loans excluded. A local rate is published only when the resolved cohort clears our floor of 30 loans.
Businesses in this industry
696
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
11.1
national 11.9
Versus the country
-7%
thinner
Every business in GOLD'S GYM's industry operating in Maryland — franchised and independent — from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (2023), against 2024 population estimates. Counter-intuitively, density is not a warning: across 198 brand-state cells in our loan data, the densest quartile charges off at 5.6% versus 18.1% in the thinnest. A crowded market is usually proven demand; an empty one is often empty for a reason.
| Fiscal year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 12 | — |
| 2024 | 13 | — |
| 2025 | 12 | — |
| System | Loans in MD | Local charge-off | Units in MD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curves for Women | 17 | 31.3% | — |
| ANYTIME FITNESS; ANYTIME FITNESS EXPRESS | 11 | thin | — |
| Club Pilates | 7 | thin | — |
| I LOVE KICKBOXING | 7 | thin | — |
| Pure Barre | 6 | thin | — |
| THE LITTLE GYM | 5 | thin | — |
Same sector, same state, same public records — how GOLD'S GYM compares to the systems a buyer in Maryland would actually be choosing between. Local rates under 10 resolved loans are marked thin, not hidden.
A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. An independent CPA is paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing GOLD'S GYM's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.
Talk to an independent CPA before you buy →