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.
Portsmouth comes in eighth with a score of 44.26. The average salary is on the lower side at £1,930, but the city balances this with a relatively modest cost of living at £1,273. That gives a salary-to-cost ratio of 1.52 – not bad, but not brilliant either.
The city ranks 19th for job demand and 28th for job postings (237 per 10,000). It does better on the event front, placing 22nd, and 17% of tech professionals recently worked from home – a healthy middle ground. It’s a decent option for those wanting a coastal city lifestyle with fair access to tech opportunities.
Cambridge, Oxford, and Westminster take the top three spots with a mix of high job demand, strong salaries, and job market activity – though Westminster’s cost of living is a trade-off. St Albans (4th) leads on job listing density, while Chester (5th) combines affordability and remote flexibility.
Winchester (6th) is a quiet contender with a healthy tech event culture, while Manchester (7th) impresses with job demand and salary balance. Gloucester (9th) provides excellent value for money with one of the lowest living costs on the list, and Nottingham (10th) is unmatched in how far your salary will stretch.
Meanwhile, London came in at 17th overall. Edinburgh ranked 12th, Bristol 15th, Leeds 16th, Birmingham 34th, Glasgow 39th and Liverpool 51st. The bottom five were Bradford, Aberdeen, Hereford, Stirling, and Kingston.
Top 10 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 |