Mayo is second best county to set up a business

Mayo has been praised in a new report and named as the second best county in Ireland to set up a business in.

The top counties to establish a firm in were rated with Leitrim claiming the number one spot, followed by Mayo, Wexford, Roscommon and Louth.

The study, by Procure.ie, lauded Mayo for its natural beauty and said the population of 137,231 was a positive and an average office rent per square metre of €116 and an average salary of €36,000 provided 'a stable foundation for business growth'.

The report stated, “Mayo, renowned for its picturesque parts, came in second with its population of 137,231, it offers a perfect blend of opportunity and affordability.

"Mayo also has an average office rent per square metre coming to €116 and an average salary of €36,000, showing that it’s a stable foundation for business growth.

"As a region with 0.0065 jobs per capita, the county offers an opportunity for business growth with an overall score of 2.5637.” The authors of the report considered important factors like population, average office rent per square metre, average salary, jobs per capita, and houses to rent per capita, when running a business.

The study generated an overall score to help businesses and entrepreneurs compare different counties and decide which area was the most appropriate to expand or set up their firms.