York named in top 10 UK cities or towns if you want your business to succeed

A new study by Shootday has revealed exactly that. Looking at the data behind business formation and sustainability across the UK, the study determines the places where entrepreneurs have the best shot at long-term success.

To get to the bottom of this, the study examined data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), focusing on 50 cities and towns across the country. The study looked at three crucial factors: business birth rates (how many new businesses are springing up), business death rates (how many are closing), and five-year survival rates (how many stick around after the early challenges).

Each of these metrics was individually normalised and indexed from 0 to 100, allowing cities of all shapes and sizes to be compared on a level playing field. To reflect how important staying power is in the business world, survival rates were given the most weight at 50%, while both births and deaths were weighted at 25% each.

York, ranked 8th with a score of 69.40, brings historic charm and modern opportunity together. The city boasts a solid 93.9% business survival rate (ranked 8th), 700 business births (38th), and 715 closures (12th). That slightly higher-than-average birth-to-death ratio suggests a healthy churn and active local market.

Meanwhile, Lincoln tops the charts as the best UK city for business success, scoring 74.75. It ranked 5th for business births (2,575) and 2nd for low deaths (310), with a respectable 93% survival rate (14th). Blackburn with Darwen takes second (72.26), thanks largely to its stellar 94.5% survival rate (2nd), although it had fewer births (730, ranked 37th). Solihull sits comfortably in third (70.84) with 1,090 births (23rd), 880 deaths (19th), and a survival rate of 94% (4th).

Basildon and Chelmsford follow, both earning over 70 points with strong survival figures. Salford (6th) remains one of the most dynamic cities, posting high activity and 94% survival. Darlington (7th, 69.99) keeps it calm and steady with just 460 deaths (6th lowest), while Middlesbrough and Bury (9th and 10th) also impressed with survival rates near 94%.

On the other hand, it wasn’t good news for all locations. At the bottom of the list were cities such as Kingston upon Hull, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Luton, Stoke-on-Trent, Coventry, Sunderland, Birmingham, Harlow, Liverpool and Derby, all ranking low due to a mix of high closure rates or weaker survival numbers.

Top 20 list of best UK cities and towns if you want your business to succeed: