Personal Impact

What would a rec center save your family?

Enter what you currently spend on fitness, recreation, and travel sports. See the difference a single membership would make.

Your Current Spending

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$
$
$

Your Current Spending

$0/mo
$0/year
  • Separate gym membership
  • No indoor courts or track
  • Travel required for tournaments
  • No senior programming
  • No child watch

With Twin Falls Rec Center

$60/mo
$720/year
  • Full fitness center
  • 4 tournament-grade courts
  • Indoor walking/running track
  • Youth & senior programming
  • Water play area
  • Child watch included

Beyond Your Family

What it does for the whole city.

The “money pit” myth

Nampa's rec center returned roughly $485,000 to the city in FY25.

A well-run public recreation center isn't a drain — Nampa's recovered about 112.6% of its operating cost last year and sent money back to city funds. Jerome's fitness center runs above 100% cost recovery, with the whole operation climbing toward break-even. The gym, memberships, and programs carry the building; the pool is cross-subsidized on purpose.

A home for the league that doesn't have one.

Twin Falls' city recreation basketball league has no home of its own — it scrounges court time at school gyms across the district, where school athletics get first priority. The private, youth-only Boot-Check Sports Ranch coming seven miles south of town is a wonderful addition for Magic Valley youth, but it can't serve a public, all-ages league on its own calendar.

Four convertible courts in a public rec center give 57,000 residents of every age reliable, affordable, scheduled access — for leagues, pickup play, volleyball, and pickleball. That's a community-access story first. Out-of-town tournament hosting is real incremental upside on top, not the load-bearing case.

Healthcare savings

Physically active adults cost roughly $1,500 less per year in healthcare than sedentary peers (CDC), and senior fitness participants average 16% lower healthcare costs with 42% fewer hospital stays (SilverSneakers). At scale, that's millions in community health value every year.

Employer recruitment

Chobani, St. Luke's Magic Valley, Glanbia, and Lamb Weston recruit nationally — and compete with cities that already have a public rec center. It's an economic-development asset.

Property values

National research consistently finds proximity to quality recreation facilities lifts nearby residential property values — an asset to surrounding neighborhoods, not a liability.

A community's living room

From the retired farmer on the indoor track to the kid in an after-school program, it's one of the few public places that serves every age at once.

The savings go beyond your family — a rec center prevents far more expensive problems.

See how it saves money & saves lives →