Cardiff and Preston are similarly sized business centres with 30,508 and 19,784 active companies respectively. This close match makes their industry mix, growth trajectory, and formation history all the more interesting to compare. Both cities share strength in Activities of other holding companies n.e.c. and Buying and selling of own real estate.
Cardiff has 30,508 active companies compared to 19,784 in Preston — 10,724 more.
Cardiff has a higher 2020s company formation rate (136.9%) compared to Preston (60.1%).
Both cities share these top industries: Activities of other holding companies n.e.c., Buying and selling of own real estate, Development of building projects, Management consultancy activities other than financial management, Other business support service activities n.e.c.. Cardiff is uniquely strong in Business and domestic software development and Information technology consultancy activities, while Preston stands out in Dormant Company and Other human health activities.