FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · IOWA

Snap Fitness franchise in Iowa: what the public record shows

Franchisees of Snap Fitness in Iowa have taken 10 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $175,320). Fewer than 30 of them were approved through FY2020 and have resolved, so no local loss ratio is published. Snap Fitness's national ratio is 0.8× (not clearly different from 1.0×). Its latest FDD Item 20 state table reports 6 franchised outlets in Iowa (fiscal 2025) — about 0.19 per 100k residents.

SBA loan outcomes · Iowavs same-year franchise loans

Loans in IA

10

Charged off (all years)

2 of 8

Loss ratio in IA

—

Loss ratio nationally (not clear)

0.8×

Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = IA. Loss ratio = charge-offs among loans approved through FY2020 ÷ the charge-offs expected if each had defaulted at the national rate for franchise loans approved the same year; 1.0× is the same. Only charged-off and paid-in-full loans count. A ratio is shown at 30+ such loans; “not clear” marks a ratio chance alone could produce. The all-years count mixes every era and is evidence, not a rate to compare. Borrowers are matched to the brand by name and SBA franchise code; some matches may be wrong or missing.

Market density · Iowa vs nationalTypical density

Businesses in this industry

335

statewide, all operators

Per 100k residents

10.3

national 11.9

Versus the country

-13%

thinner

Every business in Snap Fitness's industry operating in Iowa — franchised and independent — from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (2023), against 2024 population estimates. Counter-intuitively, density is not a warning: across the brand-state cells in the loan data, denser markets have historically charged off less often than the thinnest (see the research page). A crowded market is usually proven demand; an empty one is often empty for a reason.

Labor cost · Iowa vs nationalBelow-average wages

Avg weekly wage, this industry

$294

Iowa, BLS QCEW 2025

National average

$438

same industry, all states

Versus the country

-33%

cheaper to staff

What Snap Fitness's industry actually pays workers in Iowa, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (2025), employment-weighted across counties. This cost signal is independent of the FDD: a market can look demand-rich above and still carry a margin headwind here if local wages run hot for the sector.

Franchised outlets in Iowa · FDD Item 20-12 over the disclosed window
Fiscal yearFranchisedCompany-owned
2017180
2018160
2019100
20237—
20246—
20256—
Same-sector systems with SBA loan history in Iowa5 systems
SystemLoans in IACharged off (all years)Loss ratio in IAUnits in IA
ANYTIME FITNESS250 of 16——
Curves for Women203 of 20——
HOTWORX170 of 4—13
FARRELL'S EXTREME BODYSHAPING71 of 6——
F45 Training52 of 3——

Other systems in Snap Fitness's sector whose franchisees borrowed in Iowa. A loss ratio appears only where at least 30 loans approved through FY2020 have resolved; “—” means too few.

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