2,776 active companies are registered in Nelson with Companies House. Out of 3,871 companies ever registered here, 458 are no longer active — a 72% survival rate. The area has seen significant recent growth, with 67.2% of active businesses incorporated since 2020. Over half (90%) of active companies were formed since 2020, making this one of the UK's fastest-growing business locations. The most common industry sector is retail sale via mail order houses or via internet, with 166 companies. Nelson is home to 74 FCA-regulated firms and 21 registered charities. Companies here hold 27 government contracts worth £48.6M in total. The average company age is 6.3 years. The earliest company registration in Nelson dates back to 1924.
Source: Companies House register via UVAGATRON, September 2026
Nelson is a growth hotspot — over half of its active companies were formed since 2020.
The average active company in Nelson is 6.3 years old. There are 74 <Link href="/glossary/fca-financial-conduct-authority">FCA-regulated firms</Link> in the area. 21 registered charities operate locally.
Companies in Nelson have been awarded 27 government contracts with a combined value of £48.6M. See the Top Government Contractors report.
There are 2,776 active companies registered in Nelson, out of 3,871 total. 458 (12%) are no longer active.
The top industries in Nelson include Retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet (166 companies), Buying and selling of own real estate (139 companies), Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate (122 companies).
67.2% of currently active companies in Nelson were incorporated since 2020, indicating strong recent growth.
Our database contains 16,490 data signals across 10 categories for active companies in Nelson. The largest category is Governance with 8,174 signals from 6 sources.
The oldest company registration in Nelson dates back to 1924, spanning over 102 years of business history.