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Has a population of around 100,000. The main towns are Frome, Glastonbury, Shepton Mallet, Street and Wells

It’s estimated that around 40,000 people work in over 3,500 Mendip businesses

Key local industries include manufacturing, wholesale, retail, education and health & social care

Quarrying is a major industry between Shepton Mallet and Frome, an area that counts as one of the most important quarrying areas in Britain

Mendip manufactures food, books and other printed items, footwear, leather goods, defence products and a whole range of other items

Nationally-known companies such as Clarks, Mulberry and Butler & Tanner each have their headquarters in Mendip and subsidiaries of International companies, like Constellation Europe (Stowells, Grants of St James etc) and Thales (Defence) are also based there

Street has enjoyed a retail boom thanks to the opening of Clarks Village. It’s now hoped to further develop the local economy with the development of the old Morlands site in Glastonbury. Street is also home to the internationally renowned Millfield School.

Glastonbury Tor, Wells Cathredral and Wookey Hole are major local tourist attractions

The Glastonbury music festival attracts thousands of visitors every year and boosts the local economy

Agriculture is vital in Mendip from the Somerset Levels through to the Mendip Hills

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Sedgemoor has a population of around 105,000 with Bridgwater being by far the biggest town. Other towns include Burnham-on-Sea, Cheddar and Highbridge

Somerset LSC figures show 37,000 people working in 3,500 Sedgemoor businesses

The M5 runs through Sedgemoor. This had led to the growth of new businesses close to the motorway junctions at Highbridge and either side of Bridgwater. The Express Business Park is the latest big development

Road haulage and distribution businesses make particular use of Sedgemoor’s good transport links. These include Langdon Industries, Argos and Excel

Sedgemoor is one of Somerset’s most important manufacturing areas. Factories and engineering businesses employ larger number of people in Bridgwater and, to a lesser extent, in Highbridge

Large employers include the nuclear power stations at Hinkley Point and Gerber Foods in Bridgwater

Tourism is a big industry along the coastal strip from Burnham-on-Sea through Berrow as far as Brean. This area includes hotels, holiday camps, caravan parks and tourist attractions

Agriculture and horticulture are important on the Somerset levels and the areas stretching to the Mendip and Quantock Hills with successful dairy food companies like Yeo Valley

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South Somerset has a population of over 150,000. This is the biggest of Somerset’s five districts. It’s major town is Yeovil which has around 40,000 people

A particular feature of Somerset is the number of small market towns. These include Chard, Crewkerne, Ilminster and Wincanton

It’s estimated that 60,000 people work in nearly 5,000 South Somerset businesses

Manufacturing is vital to the local economy and employs over 30% of the South Somerset workforce. The range of goods produced is increasing all the time

The Yeovil area is one of the most important aerospace engineering areas in Britain. Much of this is based upon the work of Westland and associated companies

Haynes Publishing (car manuals), Oscar Mayer (ready meals) and Screwfix Direct (DIY items) are important national businesses in their respective fields

Transport and tourism are important in South Somerset. The A303 and the Exeter-to-Waterloo railway line pass through the district and there are major tourist attractions such as Cricket St Thomas Wildlife Park and the Yeovilton Fleet Air Arm Museum

Good agricultural land can be found throughout South Somerset stretching from Blackmore Vale through to the Blackdown Hills. Food and dairy businesses have developed to make the best use of local produce

The Royal Naval air station at Yeovilton provides significant employment to both military and civilian personnel

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Taunton Deane has a population of just over 100,000. Around 60% live in Taunton and its immediate surroundings. Wellington and Wiveliscombe are other population centres

Somerset LSC figures show that 50,000 people work in just under 4,000 Taunton Deane businesses

The number of jobs in Taunton Deane is high compared to the population. This is because people commute into the districts from other parts of Somerset and further a field

Taunton is Somerset’s largest town and the county’s administrative, retail and financial centre. It is home to Somerset County Council. Many national businesses and government organisations also have branches in the town

Organisations of national significance operating from Taunton include the UK Hydrographic Office, the Charity Commission and Western Provident Association

Other major employers include Musgrove Park Hospital (Somerset’s largest), Somerset Care, further education college (with fashion and sustainable construction as key features) and several leading independent schools

Manufacturing is not quite as important in Taunton Deane as elsewhere in the county but Taunton is home to high-tech businesses such as Thales Optronics and Thermometrics

Manufacturing is important in Wellington with Relyon (beds) and Swallowfield (aerosols) being important local employers

Agriculture and tourism are also important. Taunton Deane’s agricultural area includes the foothills of the Quantock Hills and Blackdown Hills, the Vale of Taunton Deane and part of the Somerset levels. The area includes a number of tourist attractions and hotels with national reputations

Taunton Deane has excellent communications with the M5 and railway lines to London, the Midlands and the North passing through the area. This has led to retail, hotel and distribution developments close to motorway junctions at Taunton and Wellington

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West Somerset a population of nearly 35,000, around 10,000 of which live in Minehead. Its’ population is the smallest of Somerset’s five districts

It’s estimated that 7,000 people work for around 1,100 West Somerset businesses

The relatively low number of workers reflects the fact that some residents work outside the area. There are also a large number of retired people in the area

Much of West Somerset is rural with a large area being part of Exmoor National Park. This means that agriculture, land-based industries and tourism are all important

Tourist attractions include Tropiquaria and the West Somerset Railway. The new marina at Watchet also brings visitors to the area

Butlins is the largest employer in West Somerset. Hotels, holiday parks and caravan parks also employ significant numbers of people. Around 30% of the local work force are involved in hotels and catering

There is some manufacturing in West Somerset but not as much as elsewhere in the county. Notable employers include St Regis (paper making), Snazaroo (face paints) and D J Miles (teas and coffees)

The relatively high number of elderly people means that retirement and nursing homes are amongst the bigger employers

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TAUNTON TOWN CENTRE As county town for Somerset, Taunton provides a multitude of business and visitor functions. Playing a large role in the regions success. Why not take a visit to the official Taunton Town Centre website to discover more?