NelsonNew Brunswick

Nelson scores below 94% of Canadian towns for health

Statistics Canada puts life expectancy at 78.9, below New Brunswick’s towns (80.1) and Canadian towns (81.5) alike. Smoking is commoner than in the province: 20% of adults, against 14% for New Brunswick. Adults here are more upbeat about their health than the province: 47% very good or excellent, against 44% in New Brunswick. For Nelson itself the measure is access, and it lags: 15 km to the nearest hospital, where 3.7 km is typical.

High radon around Nelson: 29% of homes tested in the area exceed 200 Bq/m³

Shaking is about as much of a worry in Nelson as in most places, at $0.050 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). Service New Brunswick - GeoNB has mapped the flood hazard here: one study on the national inventory. Burn scars are few around Nelson, with 1.9% of the land within 25 km touched by fire since 1986 (0.05% a year). Nobody publishes radon tests for Nelson alone, so this card uses the figure for the Region 7 health region.

The force covering Nelson records more serious violence than New Brunswick’s towns or Canadian towns, at 142

No police detachment reports under Nelson’s name, so these are the nearest detachment’s figures, not the town’s own

For every 1,000 residents of its police area, 25.1 violent incidents are reported each year. Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 100 over 2023–25, above New Brunswick’s towns (73) and Canadian towns (67) alike. The force’s area logs 34.8 thefts, break-ins and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year.

Households in Nelson earn less than those in 64% of Canadian towns

The car took 95% of commuters, close to New Brunswick’s towns (95%) and above Canadian towns (89%). Getting to work takes 27 min on average.

Most households in Nelson own their home: 91%, more than in New Brunswick’s towns or across Canadian towns

5% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, lower than both New Brunswick’s towns (9%) and Canadian towns (18%). A year’s rent came to nearly a fifth of the median household income, close to New Brunswick’s towns (20%) and below Canadian towns (20%).

Kouchibouguac National Park is 28 km from Nelson

23 areas within 10 km are protected for nature. 7% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%). Within its own boundary, 8.3% of the town is protected. Mount Carleton Provincial Park is the closest provincial park, at 91 km.

Nelson has colder winters than New Brunswick’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −15.3°C

Precipitation totals 1,083 mm a year, close to New Brunswick’s towns (1,121 mm) and above Canadian towns (883 mm). The frost-free season runs from 23 May to 5 October, 133 days. For the wettest month, look to October: 113 mm on average. Snow peaks in January: 82 cm in a normal year.

Children make up only 12% of Nelson, fewer than in New Brunswick’s towns and Canadian towns

Nearly a quarter of residents are 65 or over, near New Brunswick’s towns (23%) and higher than Canadian towns (19%). First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 3.1% of residents, above both New Brunswick’s towns (2.8%) and Canadian towns (2.8%).

Nelson in November: highs near 6°C, lows near −3°C

Next comes December, with normal highs of −1°C and lows of −10°C. Expect around 24 cm of snow in November. A normal November brings 93 mm of rain and snow. The year peaks in July (26°C) and bottoms out in January (−15°C).

Mike Dawson (Conservative Party of Canada) holds Miramichi—Grand Lake, the riding that includes Nelson

From New Brunswick come 10 MPs, 6 of them with the Liberal Party of Canada.

The nearest public library to Nelson is Newcastle Public Library, 16 km away

The next is Chatham Public Library (Miramichi), 23 km away.

The nearest high school to Nelson is 15 km away