2,726 active companies are registered in Nelson with Companies House. Out of 3,900 companies ever registered here, 574 are no longer active — a 70% survival rate. The area has seen significant recent growth, with 67.5% of active businesses incorporated since 2020. Over half (93%) 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 174 companies. Nelson is home to 72 FCA-regulated firms and 22 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, October 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 72 <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 27 government contracts with a combined value of £48.6M. See the Top Government Contractors report.
There are 2,726 active companies registered in Nelson, out of 3,900 total. 574 (15%) are no longer active.
The top industries in Nelson include Retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet (174 companies), Buying and selling of own real estate (131 companies), Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate (123 companies).
67.5% of currently active companies in Nelson were incorporated since 2020, indicating strong recent growth.
Our database contains 22,262 data signals across 10 categories for active companies in Nelson. The largest category is Governance with 11,276 signals from 5 sources.
The oldest company registration in Nelson dates back to 1924, spanning over 102 years of business history.