2,775 active companies are registered in Nelson with Companies House. Out of 3,466 companies ever registered here, 12 are no longer active — a 80% survival rate. The area has seen significant recent growth, with 68.1% of active businesses incorporated since 2020. Over half (80%) 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 159 companies. Nelson is home to 73 FCA-regulated firms and 22 registered charities. Companies here hold 29 government contracts worth £48.6M in total. The average company age is 6.2 years. The earliest company registration in Nelson dates back to 1924.
Source: Companies House register via UVAGATRON, June 2026
Nelson is a growth hotspot — over half of its active companies were formed since 2020.
The average active company in Nelson is 6.2 years old. There are 73 <Link href="/glossary/fca-financial-conduct-authority">FCA-regulated firms</Link> in the area. 22 registered charities operate locally.
Companies in Nelson have been awarded 29 government contracts with a combined value of £48.6M. See the Top Government Contractors report.
There are 2,775 active companies registered in Nelson, out of 3,466 total. 12 (0%) are no longer active.
The top industries in Nelson include Retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet (159 companies), Buying and selling of own real estate (137 companies), Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate (114 companies).
68.1% of currently active companies in Nelson were incorporated since 2020, indicating strong recent growth.
Our database contains 16,395 data signals across 10 categories for active companies in Nelson. The largest category is Governance with 8,603 signals from 5 sources.
The oldest company registration in Nelson dates back to 1924, spanning over 102 years of business history.