What is the cheapest area for funeral home premises in North West?

The lowest VOA rateable value for this property type in North West is £33/m²/yr in Blackburn with Darwen. On the combined Gera Business Location Score, which also weighs wages and demand, Blackburn with Darwen ranks #1.

How much are business rates for funeral home in Blackburn with Darwen?

For a 100 m² unit in Blackburn with Darwen, business rates are roughly £1,426/yr at the 2026-27 small-business multiplier (43.2p), on top of about £3,300/yr rent — before Small Business Rate Relief.

Best areas to open funeral home in North West

22 North West local authorities ranked by the Gera Business Location Score — real rent, wages, rates and market density.

Where is the best place to open a funeral home in North West?

In North West, the best area to open a funeral home is Blackburn with Darwen, with a Gera Business Location Score of 56.3/100: premises at £33/m²/yr and local median pay £30,572. Salford ranks lowest of 22 North West authorities at 22.8/100. From 2025 UK government open data; re-dated annually.

Source:VOA Business Floorspace + ONS Business Counts + ONS ASHE (work geography) + ONS population estimates·As of 2025 (VOA 31 March 2025; ASHE 2025 provisional; Business Counts 2025; population mid-2024) · updated annual · last refreshed 19 June 2026

Gera Business Location Score

Top North West area for funeral home: Blackburn with Darwen.

How this is calculated

56.3 / 100

North West ranked for funeral home

Gera Business Location Score — Funeral home, North West (2025 data)
#	Local authority	GBLS	Rent (£/m²/yr)	Local pay	Rates / 100 m²
1	Blackburn with Darwen	56.3/100	£33	£30,572	£1,426
2	Westmorland and Furness	52.1/100	£59	£32,683	£2,549
3	Lancaster	46.2/100	£68	£29,091	£2,938
4	Stockport	45.6/100	£83	£28,296	£3,586
5	Sefton	45/100	£83	£27,006	£3,586
6	Pendle	42.6/100	£76	£28,099	£3,283
7	Cheshire West and Chester	39.8/100	£87	£30,636	£3,758
8	Cheshire East	39.4/100	£90	£33,200	£3,888
9	Cumberland	39.4/100	£76	£34,890	£3,283
10	Rochdale	38.9/100	£83	£29,036	£3,586
11	Trafford	38.9/100	£93	£31,516	£4,018
12	Bolton	35.9/100	£99	£27,696	£4,277
13	Bury	35.8/100	£100	£29,060	£4,320
14	Preston	33.1/100	£90	£32,655	£3,888
15	St. Helens	32.5/100	£95	£28,468	£4,104
16	Wigan	29/100	£109	£28,003	£4,709
17	Liverpool	27.2/100	£106	£33,648	£4,579
18	Tameside	27.1/100	£117	£27,115	£5,054
19	Oldham	26.9/100	£116	£27,990	£5,011
20	Manchester	25.3/100	£104	£36,554	£4,493
21	Wirral	24.8/100	£126	£28,840	£5,443
22	Salford	22.8/100	£108	£34,741	£4,666

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest area for funeral home premises in North West?: The lowest VOA rateable value for this property type in North West is £33/m²/yr in Blackburn with Darwen. On the combined Gera Business Location Score, which also weighs wages and demand, Blackburn with Darwen ranks #1.
How much are business rates for funeral home in Blackburn with Darwen?: For a 100 m² unit in Blackburn with Darwen, business rates are roughly £1,426/yr at the 2026-27 small-business multiplier (43.2p), on top of about £3,300/yr rent — before Small Business Rate Relief.

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Contains public sector information published by Valuation Office Agency and Office for National Statistics and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: VOA Business Floorspace + ONS Business Counts + ONS ASHE (work geography) + ONS population estimates (2025 (VOA 31 March 2025; ASHE 2025 provisional; Business Counts 2025; population mid-2024), published December 2025).