KOA franchise
2026 filing · April 29, 2026Shares sales figures
KOA at a glance
A campground offering RV sites, tent sites and cabins under the KOA brand. At the end of 2025 there were 481 KOA locations in the US, 432 franchised and 49 company-owned.
The business
- Industry
- Entertainment
- Franchisor
- KAMPGROUNDS OF AMERICA, INC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 1963
- 63 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Billings, Montana
- Typical size
- About 2,000 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $4.98M–$16.7M
- New campground
- Franchise fee
- $45,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 8%
- 8% of total registration receipts, paid weekly, with lower rates for owners of several campgrounds
- Brand fund
- 2%
- 2% of total registration receipts, paid with the royalty
- Renewal fee
- $7,500
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 5 years
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 481
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 432
- Company-owned
- 49
- States
- 47
- Most in California, Texas and Colorado
Support and records
From KAMPGROUNDS OF AMERICA, INC’s 2026 filing; revenue and net income from its audited financial statements, page 127; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Franchisor revenue is the company that sells the franchises (royalties, fees and anything else it earns), not what a location makes.
Where it ranks
KOA among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | KOA | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $10,821,213 | Costs more than 98% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $45,000 | Higher than 55% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 8% | Higher than 85% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 481 | More than 94% of franchises |
How much a KOA franchise costs
Opening new campground costs an estimated $4,982,850 to $16,659,575. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are site costs ($3,853,500 to $6,861,900) and real estate ($0 to $4,050,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $45,000 | ||
| Training Expenses | $1,550 | $3,250 | |
| Real Estate | $0 | $4,050,000 | |
| Main Building | $600,000 | $1,963,500 | |
| Campground Residence | $150,000 | $663,000 | |
| Site Costs | $3,853,500 | $6,861,900 | |
| Lodging Facilities | $0 | $1,275,000 | |
| Other Facilities | $150,000 | $1,224,000 | |
| Equipment | $45,000 | $153,000 | |
| Opening Costs | $110,000 | $275,000 | |
| Initial Inventory | $10,000 | $40,000 | |
| Advertising Expense | $500 | $6,000 | |
| Computer Hardware and Software | $1,800 | $10,000 | |
| Additional Funds | $15,500 | $89,925 | |
| Total | $4,982,850 | $16,659,575 | |
Source: KAMPGROUNDS OF AMERICA, INC, 2026 filing, page 21
KOA franchise fee
The franchise fee is $45,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: KAMPGROUNDS OF AMERICA, INC, 2026 filing, page 11
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 8% of total registration receipts, paid weekly, with lower rates for owners of several campgrounds. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of total registration receipts, paid with the royalty. |
| Transfer Fee | $15,000 |
| Renewal Expiration Fee | $7,500 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: KAMPGROUNDS OF AMERICA, INC, 2026 filing, page 13
Other fees as filed, from pages 14–17. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures KOA publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: KAMPGROUNDS OF AMERICA, INC, 2026 filing, page 43
SBA loans to KOA franchisees
Lenders approved 128 SBA-backed loans for KOA franchisees from 1991 to 2025, $92M in all: 96 7(a) loans and 32 504 loans. Of the 97 that have ended, 96 were paid in full and 1 was charged off (1%). The other 31 haven’t ended yet.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
How KOA compares
Of the 168 entertainment franchises on this site, KOA is the 164th cheapest to open and the largest by number of locations.
| Figure | KOA | Typical entertainment brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $4.98M | $286K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $16.7M | $598K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $45K | $45K | $40K |
| Royalty | 8% | 6% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 1.3% | 2% |
| US locations | 481 | 8 | 21 |
| Change in franchised locations, 0 yrs | +0.7% | +32.5% | – |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 113 of 168 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 168 brands in entertainment franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 442 (−9) | 41 |
| 2022 | 426 (−16) | 49 |
| 2023 | 435 (+6) | 51 |
| 2024 | 429 (−6) | 51 |
| 2025 | 432 (+3) | 49 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Over 5 years, from the start of 2021 to the end of 2025, franchised locations went from 451 to 432 (−19, −4%). The earlier years come from the brand's 2024 filing.
Source: KAMPGROUNDS OF AMERICA, INC, 2026 filing, page 60
2021–2022: KAMPGROUNDS OF AMERICA, INC, 2024 filing, page 41
Where KOA locations are
At the end of 2025, KOA had locations in 47 states. The most are in California, Texas and Colorado.
- California28
- Texas27
- Colorado23
- Florida21
- Ohio21
- New York20
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 25 | 3 | 28 |
| Texas | 24 | 3 | 27 |
| Colorado | 21 | 2 | 23 |
| Florida | 16 | 5 | 21 |
| Ohio | 18 | 3 | 21 |
| New York | 17 | 3 | 20 |
| Montana | 14 | 4 | 18 |
| Michigan | 16 | 1 | 17 |
| Pennsylvania | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| Tennessee | 10 | 5 | 15 |
All 47 states
Source: KAMPGROUNDS OF AMERICA, INC, 2026 filing, page 63
Who owns KOA?
KOA franchises are sold by KAMPGROUNDS OF AMERICA, INC. It is a subsidiary of KOAH, Inc.
From KAMPGROUNDS OF AMERICA, INC’s 2026 filing, page 9.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: KAMPGROUNDS OF AMERICA, INC, 2026 filing, litigation on page 11, bankruptcy on page 11
KOA filings
A franchisor files a new disclosure each year it sells franchises. The figures on this page come from KAMPGROUNDS OF AMERICA, INC’s 2026 filing, issued April 29, 2026; the earlier ones below are on record with the Minnesota Department of Commerce and fill in older location counts.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | April 29, 2026 | Minnesota | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
| 2024 filing | – | Minnesota | Locations, 2021–2022 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
