To uncover the most tech-friendly cities in the UK, Ink Digital analysed data from 61 major locations, scoring each against seven key indicators of tech career success. These include: tech job demand, average salary, cost of living, the salary-to-cost-of-living ratio, number of tech jobs per 10,000 residents, tech events per 10,000 people, and the share of the population recently working from home – which points to remote working culture.
Each factor was weighted based on its influence, with tech job demand carrying the most weight (30%), followed by the salary-to-cost ratio (25%), tech job listings (20%), remote work prevalence (15%), and tech event frequency (10%). The data was sourced from trusted outlets including the Office for National Statistics (ONS), LinkedIn, Numbeo, and Eventbrite.
Bristol comes in 15th place overall with a score of 41.34, and while it’s often hailed as one of the UK’s leading tech cities, the numbers reveal a more mixed picture. Tech job demand is decent at 2.20%, just outside the top 15, and the average salary sits at £2,479 – not bad, but not standout either. What really weighs Bristol down is its high cost of living, which is the third highest in the UK at £1,765. That results in a salary-to-cost-of-living ratio of just 1.40, the fourth lowest among all cities analysed.
When it comes to job density and networking opportunities, Bristol underwhelms somewhat, with just 103 tech jobs and 20 tech events per 10,000 people. Remote work doesn’t seem to have taken off either, with only 14% of people recently working from home.
Cambridge takes the top spot as the best UK city for tech careers, thanks to its unmatched job demand (5.10%), strong salaries (£3,139), and a thriving local tech scene. Oxford follows in second, offering a great balance of pay, cost of living, and one of the highest remote work rates at 34%. Westminster ranks third, driven by its huge number of job listings – over 1,100 per 10,000 people – although high living costs hold it back from claiming the top spot. St Albans, in fourth place, boasts the highest job density of all cities (1,550 per 10K), proving that smaller cities can offer big opportunities.
Chester comes in fifth with strong value-for-money – salaries are decent, living costs are low, and it has one of the most active tech event scenes. Winchester ranks sixth and stands out for its well-balanced offering of jobs, affordability, and event engagement. Manchester, in seventh, brings strong job demand (3.20%) and solid remote work figures to the table. Portsmouth, Gloucester, and Nottingham round out the top 10 – all offering affordable living and decent tech job availability, with Nottingham standing out in particular for having the best salary-to-cost-of-living ratio (2.48) in the entire ranking.
Meanwhile, London came in at 17th overall. Edinburgh ranked 12th, Leeds 16th, Birmingham 34th, Glasgow 39th and Liverpool 51st. The bottom five were Bradford, Aberdeen, Hereford, Stirling, and Kingston.
Top 15 list of best UK cities for tech careers according to the study:
| Rank | City | Tech Job Demand % | Average Salary £ | Average Cost of Living £ | Salary/Cost of Living Index | No. of tech job posting per 10K people | No. of tech events per 10K people | Recently Worked from Home | Total Score |
| 1 | Cambridge | 5.10 | 3,140 | 1,650 | 1.90 | 358 | 68.00 | 10% | 58.58 |
| 2 | Oxford | 2.90 | 2,710 | 1,663 | 1.63 | 343 | 61.44 | 34% | 58.07 |
| 3 | Westminster | 1.68 | 2,850 | 2,641 | 1.08 | 1,130 | 39.20 | 15% | 57.65 |
| 4 | St Albans | 1.10 | 2,333 | 1,729 | 1.35 | 1,550 | 66.22 | 8% | 57.24 |
| 5 | Chester | 1.20 | 2,300 | 1,341 | 1.71 | 505 | 90.65 | 24% | 49.16 |
| 6 | Winchester | 1.60 | 2,200 | 1,357 | 1.62 | 396 | 77.09 | 14% | 45.52 |
| 7 | Manchester | 3.20 | 2,289 | 1,228 | 1.86 | 118 | 17.88 | 22% | 45.04 |
| 8 | Portsmouth | 1.90 | 1,930 | 1,273 | 1.52 | 238 | 47.44 | 17% | 44.26 |
| 9 | Gloucester | 2.00 | 1,775 | 927 | 1.91 | 362 | 74.64 | 13% | 43.54 |
| 10 | Nottingham | 3.30 | 2,271 | 915 | 2.48 | 162 | 30.91 | 28% | 43.46 |
| 11 | Chichester | 0.80 | 2,128 | 1,226 | 1.74 | 376 | 79.28 | 22% | 43.09 |
| 12 | Edinburgh | 3.30 | 2,793 | 1,353 | 2.06 | 94 | 8.02 | 24% | 42.95 |
| 13 | Exeter | 1.40 | 2,075 | 1,214 | 1.71 | 345 | 32.25 | 24% | 42.13 |
| 14 | Brighton and Hove | 1.60 | 2,362 | 1,734 | 1.36 | 160 | 35.58 | 17% | 41.98 |
| 15 | Bristol | 2.20 | 2,480 | 1,765 | 1.40 | 103 | 20.87 | 14% | 41.34 |