Best areas to open pharmacy in North West
29 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 pharmacy in North West?
In North West, the best area to open a pharmacy is Trafford, with a Gera Business Location Score of 73.1/100: premises at £327/m²/yr and local median pay £31,516. Halton ranks lowest of 29 North West authorities at 40.6/100. From 2025 UK government open data; re-dated annually.
North West ranked for pharmacy
| # | Local authority | GBLS | Rent (£/m²/yr) | Local pay | Rates / 100 m² |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trafford | 73.1/100 | £327 | £31,516 | £14,126 |
| 2 | Chorley | 72.3/100 | £146 | £29,415 | £6,307 |
| 3 | Preston | 69.3/100 | £197 | £32,655 | £8,510 |
| 4 | Stockport | 63.5/100 | £402 | £28,296 | £17,366 |
| 5 | Tameside | 62.6/100 | £267 | £27,115 | £11,534 |
| 6 | Blackburn with Darwen | 61/100 | £301 | £30,572 | £13,003 |
| 7 | Bolton | 60.1/100 | £378 | £27,696 | £16,330 |
| 8 | Wyre | 59.6/100 | £315 | £27,657 | £13,608 |
| 9 | Burnley | 59.1/100 | £332 | £27,128 | £14,342 |
| 10 | Knowsley | 58.3/100 | £257 | £32,181 | £11,102 |
| 11 | Blackpool | 57.3/100 | £358 | £27,064 | £15,466 |
| 12 | Oldham | 56.1/100 | £345 | £27,990 | £14,904 |
| 13 | Cumberland | 53.2/100 | £259 | £34,890 | £11,189 |
| 14 | Rossendale | 53.1/100 | £379 | £27,288 | £16,373 |
| 15 | Warrington | 52.7/100 | £332 | £34,719 | £14,342 |
| 16 | Wirral | 50.6/100 | £410 | £28,840 | £17,712 |
| 17 | St. Helens | 49.5/100 | £360 | £28,468 | £15,552 |
| 18 | Westmorland and Furness | 49.3/100 | £367 | £32,683 | £15,854 |
| 19 | Cheshire East | 47.8/100 | £391 | £33,200 | £16,891 |
| 20 | Bury | 46.1/100 | £457 | £29,060 | £19,742 |
| 21 | South Ribble | 45.8/100 | £403 | £30,126 | £17,410 |
| 22 | Salford | 45.6/100 | £352 | £34,741 | £15,206 |
| 23 | Wigan | 44.6/100 | £395 | £28,003 | £17,064 |
| 24 | Rochdale | 44.4/100 | £478 | £29,036 | £20,650 |
| 25 | Manchester | 44.3/100 | £357 | £36,554 | £15,422 |
| 26 | Cheshire West and Chester | 44/100 | £438 | £30,636 | £18,922 |
| 27 | Lancaster | 42.7/100 | £447 | £29,091 | £19,310 |
| 28 | Liverpool | 41.5/100 | £392 | £33,648 | £16,934 |
| 29 | Halton | 40.6/100 | £402 | £32,465 | £17,366 |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cheapest area for pharmacy premises in North West?
- The lowest VOA rateable value for this property type in North West is £146/m²/yr in Chorley. On the combined Gera Business Location Score, which also weighs wages and demand, Trafford ranks #1.
- How much are business rates for pharmacy in Trafford?
- For a 100 m² unit in Trafford, business rates are roughly £14,126/yr at the 2026-27 small-business multiplier (43.2p), on top of about £32,700/yr rent — before Small Business Rate Relief.
Opening a pharmacy in North West?
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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).