A Great Place to Live
Recently ranked as the ‘No. 2 Best City in the UK’ in the Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards 2025, Manchester is a dynamic and inspiring place to live, work and play.
From its vibrant city centre with a diverse food and drink scene, exhilarating nightlife, enriching cultural attractions, and exceptional shopping – and much more – Manchester offers a lifestyle to suit everyone.
A city built on a legacy of innovation and ambition, where creativity thrives, heritage is celebrated, and green spaces abound – Manchester’s future looks brighter than ever.
A Strong Investment
Manchester has many compelling reasons why it represents a sound investment:
- A strong economy
- Prosperous job opportunities
- Robust capital value
- Solid house price forecasts
- c.6% projected rental yields*
*Based on local agent rental predictions.
Investment Highlights
A Resilient Economy
Manchester has the UK’s 2nd largest regional city economy, valued at over £78bn, with GVA forecast to grow by 2.1% annually between 2025 and 2028 - outpacing the national rate of 1.6%.
Source: MIDAS & EY UK Regional Economic Forecast, 2025
A Growing City Centre Workforce
65,000 new city centre jobs will be introduced by 2040, and over 80% of FTSE 100 companies have a presence in the city, including Google, BBC, Adidas and Unilever.
Source: cityco.com
Solid House Price Forecasts
Manchester house prices are set to increase on average +27.6% pa over the next 5 years, substantially ahead of the 22.2% UK average.
Source: Savills, November 2025
Prime Rental Growth
As the UK’s leading rental market, rents are forecast to grow by +17.6% by 2029, with c. 6% projected yields.
*Based on local agent rental predictions.
Source: Savills Economics, 2024
Strong Demand for Housing
The number of new homes under construction has fallen from 15,000 in 2018 to 10,788 in 2025, further fuelling demand for housing across the city.
Source: Crane Survey, 2025
A Thriving Tech Hub
10,000+ digital and tech businesses make Manchester the UK’s largest and fastest-growing tech hub outside London and the South East – generating a £5billion digital turnover.
Source: businesscloud.co.uk
First-Class Learning
Home to one of the largest student populations in Europe and 5 world-class universities – including The University of Manchester, ranked 8th best in Europe*.
Source: MIDAS Greater Manchester, 2024
Exceptional Connectivity
Ranked no. 2 large European city for connectivity – supported by the Bee Network, Manchester Metrolink, and Manchester International Airport.
Source: Di European Cities of the Future
World-Class Education
The UK is one of the best education hubs in the world and Manchester sits proudly at the top of the league.
-
116,000 students
PER ANNUM ACROSS FIVE UNIVERSITIES*
-
7.2m students
WITHIN A ONE-HOUR COMMUTE**
-
41,000
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS***
-
More than 200
SPOKEN LANGUAGES***
-
36,000 STEM
GRADUATES EACH YEAR***
-
51% graduate retention rate
SECOND ONLY TO LONDON†
-
The University of Manchester
ONE OF 24 LEADING RESEARCH-FOCUSED UNIVERSITIES IN THE UK††
-
One of the largest clinical
ACADEMIC CAMPUSES IN EUROPE†††
-
Sources:
*MIDAS Partnership 2023/24 Q1 Presentation
** cityco.com
*** britishcouncil.org
† centreforcities.org
†† thecompleteuniversityguide
††† oxfordroadcorridor.com
Arts, Culture and Entertainment
Home to museums, galleries, major sporting arenas, and world-class entertainment venues – including Co-op Live, the UK’s largest arena, and Aviva Studios, a £240m landmark for arts and culture – it’s easy to see why over 119 million visitors flock to Manchester each year.
Museums
Galleries
Music Venues
Sports Arenas
Theatres
Thriving Cultural Hubs
Castlefield
-
First
UK Urban Heritage Park
-
Roman-era
ruins (c. AD 79)
-
National Trust
Castlefield Viaduct
-
8,000
capacity Castlefield Bowl
-
Canalside
dining & indie venues
Castlefield is one of Manchester’s most distinctive neighbourhoods. As the UK’s first Urban Heritage Park and a designated conservation area, it blends centuries of history with contemporary city living - from Roman-era ruins and cobbled streets to restored warehouses and tranquil canals.
Deansgate
-
Diverse
mix of restaurants, bars & cafés
-
John Rylands
library
-
King Street's
high-end boutiques
-
£14m
investment in sustainable transport*
-
Connectivity
via tram, train, bus, taxi & cycle routes*
Deansgate is one of Manchester’s most historic and well-connected city centre thoroughfares.
*Source: manchester.gov.uk
First Street
-
8
restaurants, bars & cafés
-
£25m
cultural facility: HOME
-
350,000
sq ft of office space
-
4,000
current workforce*
-
10,000
jobs target by 2028*
First Street stands as New Jackson’s vibrant neighbour – a unique city centre area seamlessly blending office space with a rich cultural, leisure and residential environment.
*Source: great.gov.uk
Oxford Road Corridor
-
81,000+
students per annum
-
£300m
in research grants to The University of Manchester*
-
83%
of The University of Manchester's research rated 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent'*
-
£1.7bn
Innovation District led by The University of Manchester and Bruntwood SciTech*
The Oxford Road Corridor is Manchester’s renowned Knowledge Quarter - home world-class universities, research hubs, and over 81,000 students. With £2.6bn in planned investment, it’s a thriving hub of education and innovation.
*Source: oxfordroadcorridor.com
Spinningfields
-
£1.5bn
investment into a world-class business district*
-
430,000+
sq m of commercial, residential & retail space*
-
170+
organisations in finance, law & media*
-
£80m+
annual retail & leisure spend*
Spinningfields is Manchester’s leading commercial district - home to major firms like Barclays, Deloitte, and PwC. Alongside its corporate core, it offers over 45 venues for dining, shopping, and leisure, including Sexy Fish, 20 Stories, and Flannels.
*Source: alliedlondon.com
Exchange Square
-
2 luxury
department stores
-
7 designer brands
on New Cathedral Street
-
25+
restaurants, bars & cafés
-
365,000
sq ft entertainment at The Printworks
-
Manchester Arndale
- largest shopping centre
Exchange Square is Manchester’s premier destination for shopping, dining, and leisure. Home to Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, and New Cathedral Street, it’s also surrounded by vibrant bars, restaurants, and the Printworks entertainment complex.
Northern Quarter
-
Creative district
of Manchester
-
Diverse
cafés, street food & late-night bars
-
Art, music & events
- a year round programme
-
Independent
boutiques & concept stores
-
Chanel Métiers d’Art
2023
Manchester’s creative core – celebrated for its independent spirit, cultural energy, and distinctive character. From vintage shops and record stores to street art, specialty coffee, and nightlife, this is where the city’s artistic and alternative scenes thrive.
Everywhere Within Reach
Manchester offers outstanding local, national, and international transport links. The city’s integrated Bee Network is set to deliver a London-style transport system by 2030, whilst the Metrolink is already the UK’s most extensive light rail network. Manchester Airport also connects the city to over 220 global destinations.
The Bee Network – buses, trams, cycling & rail
Metrolink – 99 stations across 64 miles
Manchester International Airport – the largest UK airport outside of London
A Hub For Enterprise
Manchester offers a highly skilled labour pool, making it an attractive location for businesses of all sizes – from start-ups and SMEs to global brands.
