Best areas to open pharmacy in South West
14 South 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 South West?
In South West, the best area to open a pharmacy is Somerset, with a Gera Business Location Score of 55.2/100: premises at £345/m²/yr and local median pay £29,152. South Gloucestershire ranks lowest of 14 South West authorities at 20.1/100. From 2025 UK government open data; re-dated annually.
South West ranked for pharmacy
| # | Local authority | GBLS | Rent (£/m²/yr) | Local pay | Rates / 100 m² |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Somerset | 55.2/100 | £345 | £29,152 | £14,904 |
| 2 | Exeter | 51.3/100 | £408 | £30,138 | £17,626 |
| 3 | Gloucester | 48.1/100 | £439 | £30,796 | £18,965 |
| 4 | Dorset | 47.3/100 | £448 | £29,292 | £19,354 |
| 5 | Wiltshire | 46.6/100 | £416 | £30,000 | £17,971 |
| 6 | Bath and North East Somerset | 44.4/100 | £415 | £32,004 | £17,928 |
| 7 | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | 44.4/100 | £480 | £31,121 | £20,736 |
| 8 | Teignbridge | 42.8/100 | £490 | £28,636 | £21,168 |
| 9 | Cornwall | 41.1/100 | £520 | £27,006 | £22,464 |
| 10 | Plymouth | 35.2/100 | £499 | £30,346 | £21,557 |
| 11 | Torbay | 34.8/100 | £593 | £28,066 | £25,618 |
| 12 | Swindon | 31.9/100 | £444 | £32,933 | £19,181 |
| 13 | Bristol, City of | 25.5/100 | £522 | £36,652 | £22,550 |
| 14 | South Gloucestershire | 20.1/100 | £563 | £36,920 | £24,322 |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cheapest area for pharmacy premises in South West?
- The lowest VOA rateable value for this property type in South West is £345/m²/yr in Somerset. On the combined Gera Business Location Score, which also weighs wages and demand, Somerset ranks #1.
- How much are business rates for pharmacy in Somerset?
- For a 100 m² unit in Somerset, business rates are roughly £14,904/yr at the 2026-27 small-business multiplier (43.2p), on top of about £34,500/yr rent — before Small Business Rate Relief.
Opening a pharmacy in South 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).