Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,172, settled in 1886.
Nelson’s best subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A for schools; its weakest is a D for walkability. On cost of living, just 14 of Georgia’s 371 towns do better. Nelson has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Nelson beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Georgia), ordered by how far Nelson is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 266 in 1890, a low of 254 in 1900, 1,145 in 2020. The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 2010 and 3 maps from 1926 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Nelson, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Nelson.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ahlberg Academy PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 1–10 | Grades 1–10 | 11 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within GA on state tests and graduation
Most working residents leave Nelson for work: only 0% work in town. At 30 minutes, Nelson’s average trip to work is above both Georgia’s towns (26 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). 7.9% of residents live below the poverty line in Nelson.
| Nelson | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 7.9% | 15% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $89,000 | $63,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Nelson has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Among 265 Georgia towns, just 5 have a lower July high than Nelson.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Nelson beats the Georgia average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 17% of adults binge drink in Nelson, against 14% in Georgia’s towns and 16% across U.S. towns. 11% of Nelson adults worry about having enough food.
| Nelson | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 16% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 22% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 39% | 33% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 23% | 19% |
| What stands out | Nelson | GA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6% | 9.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.3% | 17.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 8.8% | 7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Nelson home is worth about $374,000, up 0.7% in a year, 14% above the Georgia typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 54% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Nelson
About 5 of every 100 Nelson residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Georgia.
1,314 counted in 2010 and 1,145 in 2020; an estimated 1,172 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
City in Georgia, United States
Nelson is a city in Pickens and Cherokee Counties, Georgia, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 1,145. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.