Many a New Year starts with high hopes to get fit. One major success factor in working out is how easy it is to get to the gym. If you could walk out of your apartment and step right into the gym, that would definitely help. Well, it seems that increasingly, apartment buildings are doing just that: bringing the gym to you.  In a recent survey of more than 3,000 renters searching for apartments on rentcafe.com, 47 percent of respondents said they were interested in renting in a community with a gym or fitness center. What’s more, apartment data from Yardi Matrix found that for 28 percent of these renters, the lack of a gym in the building is a real deal-breaker. A mix of three main reasons were cited: convenience, cost and motivation.

In the past decade, fitness amenities were present in almost 90 percent of apartment communities that were built nationwide. In 2019, an overwhelming 92 percent of new rental buildings came with some type of gym or fitness amenity. In fact, in the last decade alone, gyms have been a regular fixture in around 90 percent of new apartment buildings. Following this trend of combining fitness and convenience, two-thirds of large apartment buildings in the U.S. now have a fitness center on their premises.

A top-of-the-line residential property is commonly associated with top-of-the-line amenities. These also include wellness amenities and residential perks, and no doubt, the fancier the building, the higher the chance of it having a gym. Around 96 percent of class-A apartment buildings have a gym. However, the fitness center is not the only amenity offered in high-end complexes.

Swimming pools, garage parking, secured access, services, business centers, pet-friendly areas, in-unit washers and dryers, and energy-efficient appliances are also frequently found in these types of buildings. Additionally, some are in top locations that allow renters to fully embrace the live-work-play lifestyle.

Renting in a building with a gym will cost you

While having a gym in your building has become a given, when it comes to paying for this convenience, 56 percent of the renters surveyed indicated that they were not willing to pay extra for an on-site gym. In contrast, 32 percent said they would pay up to $100 extra, while only 2 percent indicated that they were willing to pay $300 or more.

Compared to the national average rent of $1,473, the average cost to rent in buildings with a gym on-site is $1,530; that’s a difference of just $57 per month. Compared to an off-site gym membership it is pretty comparable and convenient to go for the extra.

The gym at 235 Grand in Jersey City. – CAHN COMMUNICATIONS

Although the difference in rent is not solely due to the presence of a fitness center, it is important to note that the nicer the amenities, the higher the rent will be. For example, some buildings offer a basic gym with some cardio and lifting equipment. Others have a fitness center with varied equipment and classes, such as yoga or pilates. Still others offer a full-fledged health and wellness club with an expansive, fully-equipped fitness center, pool, spa, personal trainers and recovery rooms.

Garden State specific

What are the best cities for active renters in New Jersey? Edgewater leads the pack with a 69 percent share of buildings having gyms. Residents here know that renting in a community with this amenity will not set them back more than $7 over the city average, which is the second-highest in the state—$3,190.

New Brunswick and Hoboken come second and third in this ranking with shares of 67 percent and 63 percent of buildings with gyms, respectively. Rents in these communities, however, will seriously set you back, as apartments here are between $222 and $277 more expensive than the city average.

Jersey City boasts a 60 percent share of apartment buildings with fitness amenities, taking up the fifth spot in the ranking. The rent difference between this type of building and the city average is a solid $268. In West New York, 43 percent of apartment communities are equipped with gyms, and most probably with other premium amenities, as the rent difference between them and the city average is the highest in the state – $447.