Best areas to open pharmacy in North East
12 North East local authorities ranked by the Gera Business Location Score — real rent, wages, rates and market density.
Where is the best place to open a pharmacy in North East?
In North East, the best area to open a pharmacy is Darlington, with a Gera Business Location Score of 66.6/100: premises at £241/m²/yr and local median pay £29,692. Redcar and Cleveland ranks lowest of 12 North East authorities at 44.4/100. From 2025 UK government open data; re-dated annually.
North East ranked for pharmacy
| # | Local authority | GBLS | Rent (£/m²/yr) | Local pay | Rates / 100 m² |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Darlington | 66.6/100 | £241 | £29,692 | £10,411 |
| 2 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 63.5/100 | £229 | £31,786 | £9,893 |
| 3 | Gateshead | 61.1/100 | £275 | £28,507 | £11,880 |
| 4 | North Tyneside | 59.7/100 | £276 | £29,311 | £11,923 |
| 5 | Middlesbrough | 58/100 | £259 | £29,502 | £11,189 |
| 6 | County Durham | 52.6/100 | £305 | £29,393 | £13,176 |
| 7 | South Tyneside | 52.4/100 | £334 | £25,490 | £14,429 |
| 8 | Hartlepool | 51.5/100 | £320 | £28,204 | £13,824 |
| 9 | Sunderland | 51.3/100 | £347 | £28,214 | £14,990 |
| 10 | Stockton-on-Tees | 50.1/100 | £376 | £29,537 | £16,243 |
| 11 | Northumberland | 46.5/100 | £443 | £27,769 | £19,138 |
| 12 | Redcar and Cleveland | 44.4/100 | £411 | £28,356 | £17,755 |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cheapest area for pharmacy premises in North East?
- The lowest VOA rateable value for this property type in North East is £229/m²/yr in Newcastle upon Tyne. On the combined Gera Business Location Score, which also weighs wages and demand, Darlington ranks #1.
- How much are business rates for pharmacy in Darlington?
- For a 100 m² unit in Darlington, business rates are roughly £10,411/yr at the 2026-27 small-business multiplier (43.2p), on top of about £24,100/yr rent — before Small Business Rate Relief.
Opening a pharmacy in North East?
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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).