Choose a bonus that applies to the settlement's work
The best mayor bonus in County of Fortune depends on what the settlement produces. A bonus for an unrelated building is less useful to that settlement's current production than one matching its active industry. The developer's practical advice is to compare the mayor's bonus with the settlement's starting building, rather than chase one universal mayor for every village.
The official County of Fortune demo FAQ and mayor rework support that approach. They do not establish a complete strongest-to-weakest ranking or a universal set of named mayor percentages.
Compare the production you need to improve
Use the settlement's actual role to decide which bonus to look for:
| Settlement role | What to compare in the mayor selection |
|---|---|
| Crop-producing settlement | A bonus applying to the crop building that supplies your food chain |
| Logging settlement | A bonus applying to the active raw-material production |
| Guild settlement | A bonus applying to the guild that supports construction or maintenance |
| Equipment workshop settlement | A bonus applying to the workshop making equipment the region needs |
Nivarias's narrated demo playthrough provides player-experience examples of matching mayors to cabbage production, logging, guilds and wooden-chest production. These illustrate bonus fit; the named characters and percentages in that recording are not a current universal tier list.
If a settlement contains several buildings, compare the bonus with the production you are trying to improve. That is a conditional planning choice, not proof that one industry always deserves the best mayor in every county.
Use the current new-and-existing mayor selection
The October demo rework puts new and existing mayors in the same selection window. It also removes negative mayor bonuses and the penalty for swapping mayors between settlements.
Compare a new hire with an existing mayor who might benefit another settlement more. A mayor whose bonus is unhelpful in one village can be a better fit elsewhere, especially after you change or add production buildings.
Old demo discussions describe replacement penalties and negative attributes. Those older rules should not be used as the current reason to avoid a beneficial swap after the announced rework.
Check supply before expecting a bonus to solve everything
A matching mayor does not create a missing workshop input. Inspect production-chain tooltips and input warnings, and make sure the settlement's food and equipment supplies are working.
The official FAQ allows a mayor without a matching production bonus; you can replace them later. Waiting for perfect matches everywhere is therefore not a prerequisite for developing your region.
The useful comparison is specific: which available mayor helps this settlement's active production, given the goods and workforce it can actually support? That answers the bonus choice without inventing a measured global ranking.
FAQ
Is there one best mayor bonus for every settlement?
The official guidance is to match the bonus to the settlement's production. Different buildings give you different reasons to choose a mayor.
Do I need a perfectly matching mayor to keep playing?
No. The FAQ explicitly says a mayor without a matching bonus is acceptable and can be swapped later.
Are negative bonuses and swap penalties still part of the October demo?
The October rework announcement says negative mayor bonuses and the penalty for swapping mayors between settlements have been removed.