NelsonIL
A town of 127, settled in 1858.
Is Nelson a good place to live?
Nelson’s median age is 56.9 years, above both the Illinois town median (40.7 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). Only 7 of the 769 Illinois towns we compare have a lower median household income than Nelson. Nelson has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
127 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Nelson: who provides what
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 Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Nelson.
With 0.1 jobs for every working resident, most of Nelson’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Nelson for work: only 0% work in town. 22% of Nelson residents live below the poverty line, against 8.4% in Illinois’ towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Nelson’s average trip to work is 23 minutes.
| Nelson | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 22% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In Nelson, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Nelson has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 14° and about 29 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Nelson is
Nelson beats the Illinois average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 39% of adults have high blood pressure in Nelson.
| Nelson | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 37% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Nelson | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.5% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.9% | 15.9% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.6% | 10.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Moderate risk in Nelson, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 51% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Everything we know about Nelson
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Nelson
About 1 of every 100 Nelson residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
100% of working residents leave Nelson for work
Where Nelson’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Nelson
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Nelson, IL a good place to live?
Nelson has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.