The toughest UK cities for entrepreneurial mothers revealed

April 12, 2026

Women experience work-related stress at rates 50% higher than men of the same age, according to Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics, and for many mothers, limited flexibility adds further pressure. Less than two in 10 (14%) working mums say they feel comfortable requesting flexible working.

For Stress Awareness Month, new research from Capital on Tap reveals where entrepreneurial mothers face the greatest challenges, with factors like childcare access, commuting demands, and business survival rates shaping how manageable, or overwhelming, business ownership becomes.

The Toughest 10 UK Cities for Entrepreneurial Mothers

Rank	Location	Number of business start-ups	Number of start-ups per 10,000	Business survival rates 5 years	Childcare as a % of earnings	Childcare Accessibility (average places per 100 children)	Avg Travel Time per 10km (minutes)	Congestion %	Median Gender Pay Gap (%)
1	Liverpool	16,620	329	29.4%	52.3%	22.9	25	35%	17.5%
2	Birmingham	42,970	367	25.0%	51.6%	21.3	21	38%	8.9%
3	Kingston upon Hull	7,535	278	41.8%	51.6%	16.3	22	46%	9.6%
4	Plymouth	7,075	264	43.9%	93.0%	23.0	19	31%	16.1%
5	Manchester	25,985	414	28.9%	62.2%	22.5	25	32%	2.9%
6	Nottingham	10,445	316	33.7%	63.7%	24.3	24	35%	3.0%
7	Southampton	8,600	334	33.1%	50.4%	27.1	21	38%	13.0%
8	Reading	7,365	402	38.8%	47.5%	30.5	21	37%	31.6%
9	Coventry	11,790	320	36.4%	41.8%	18.5	21	33%	10.8%
10	Leicester	14,240	375	38.7%	36.0%	19.7	25	39%	8.2%

Liverpool ranks as the toughest UK city for entrepreneurial mothers with a support score of 4.5, where a combination of financial and time pressures creates a more difficult environment for mothers in business. Childcare consumes over half of average earnings (52.3%), while just 29.4% of businesses survive five years. Limited childcare availability (22.9 places per 100 children) adds further uncertainty, making it harder to maintain consistent working routines.

Birmingham follows, despite its strong start-up culture, scoring just 4.7 on the index. The city records the lowest five-year business survival rate in the ranking at 25%, alongside childcare costs taking 51.6% of women’s earnings. Higher congestion levels (38%) and longer travel times reduce the usable hours mothers have to work, increasing day-to-day pressure.

Kingston upon Hull ranks third, driven less by business failure and more by access barriers, resulting in a support score of 4.8. While 41.8% of businesses survive five years, the city has the lowest childcare availability in the top 10, at 16.3 places per 100 children. Combined with childcare costs taking 51.6% of earnings and high congestion (46%), mothers face challenges securing the time needed to get businesses off the ground.