Elk Rapids Township Hall · National Register of Historic Places
Nelson Township’s story
172 years in pictures
The archive holds a map from 1985 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1854Nelson Township is organized
Nelson TownshipMI
A town of 5,054, organized in 1854.
4 bordering townsMap →
Elk Rapids Township Hall · Photo: rossograph · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
5,054
2025 Census estimate · +3.3% since 2020
Median home value
$253K
Census ACS
Household income
$67K
median
Median age
42.7
years
Jobs based here
374
A commuter town
TownGrade
B+
#238 of 697 in MI
Is Nelson Township a good place to live?
Nelson Township gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $253K, 3.1 years of the Grand Rapids metro’s $83K median household income. It grades B+ overall, 238th among Michigan's 697 graded towns. On the plus side, natural-hazard risk is low. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 84% of U.S. towns. Elk Rapids Township Hall is on the National Register of Historic Places. Only 5 of the 666 Michigan towns we compare have a lower median rent than Nelson Township.
What makes Nelson Township stand out
Where Nelson Township beats most towns.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Nelson Township for work
Where Nelson Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
374jobs based in Nelson Township
2%of working residents work in town
21 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
How Nelson Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Nelson Township is from typical.
Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 11% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.5 of 20; 4% of households have no car; 0.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Cost of livingB+Open →SchoolsBeat 65% of Michigan districts on tests and graduationB+Open →Jobs & income$67K median household incomeBOpen →HealthSheridan Community Hospital 21 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3 miles of trails; 8% conserved landBOpen →HistoryOrganized 1854; 1 place on the National RegisterC+Open →Civic life2.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Nelson Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Nelson Township, and how to reach them.
PowerDTE20.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSand Lake water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers92% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Nelson Township’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Michigan you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereNelson Township ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP codes49319, 4934349319 63% · 49343 37%Census 2020
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 Township.
Nelson Township sends most of its workers to Grand Rapids and beyond, but it is a long drive from an emergency room.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Nelson Township faces a very low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 89% of U.S. communities.
11risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Most working residents commute out of Nelson Township
Nelson Township has 374 jobs for its 2,114 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Most working residents leave Nelson Township for work: only 2% work in town. Since 2011, Nelson Township has added 71 jobs, to 374 in 2021. Nelson Township’s average trip to work is 28 minutes, against 25 minutes in Michigan’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns.
2%work in town
| Nelson Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.1% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Nelson Township2%
Grand Rapids20%
Cedar Springs5%
Plainfield Township5%
Walker4%
21 mi
median commute distance
374
jobs based in Nelson Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 16% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Nelson Township
Nelson Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Nelson Township’s July high is 82°F, close to Michigan’s towns (82°F) and below U.S. towns (85°F).
73″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–32°
Spring34–56°
Summer56–80°
Fall39–59°
Sep 28
typical first frost
May 18
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
An age mix much like Michigan’s
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Michigan average. Nelson Township has grown 3.3% since 2020, to 5,054 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 23% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Michigan.
42.7median age · MI 40.2
| Nelson Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 20% | 21% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 23% | 26% | 29% |
| Median age | 42.7 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
Nelson TownshipMichiganUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma6%
High school39%
Some college21%
Associate’s11%
Bachelor’s16%
Graduate7%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.2 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Nelson Township | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.3% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.4% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.5% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.8% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.2% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.7% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.6% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.3% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.4% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 38.5% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.2% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.9% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.7% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.3% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
OutdoorsB
Nelson Township has set aside 7.6% of its land for conservation
2.6 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Gordon Park, at 25 acres. The trail density in Nelson Township is 0.1 miles per square mile.
#522for trails in MI
| Nelson Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 7.6% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
7.6%
conserved · 1,754 of 22,940 acres
2.6 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Gordon Park | 0.2 mi | 25 |
| 2. Boomer Park | 0.2 mi | 12 |
| 3. Salisbury Park | 0.1 mi | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HealthB−
Health in Nelson Township trails 52% of U.S. towns
The nearest emergency room, Sheridan Community Hospital, is 21 miles away in a straight line. Against the 10,164 U.S. towns with household incomes like Nelson Township’s, it is healthier than 65%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
Nelson Township beats the Michigan average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 29% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Nelson Township.
48%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Nelson Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 27% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Nelson Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with depression | 29.1% | 25.7% |
Sheridan Community Hospital
21 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
49th
percentile among MI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Nelson Township
18pages on Nelson Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Nelson Township; the nearest are
Kuyper CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Grand Rapids17.1 mi$27,660 tuitionMontcalm Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Sidney19.4 mi$4,662 in-state tuitionGrand Valley State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Allendale28.7 mi$15,140 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Nelson Township residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Michigan.
About Nelson Township
Civil township in Michigan, United States
Nelson Township is a civil township of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,895 at the 2020 census, which was up from 4,774 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area and is located about 20 miles (32 km) northeast of the city of Grand Rapids. The village of Sand Lake is located within Nelson Township.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 36 sq mi
- Elevation
- 906 ft
Nelson Township’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Nelson Township.
Cedar SpringsSpencer TownshipCourtland TownshipPierson TownshipNelson Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson Township | #238 | B+ | B+ | — | B+ | B− |
| Cedar Springs | #543 | C | C+ | — | B+ | C− |
| Spencer Township | #316 | B | B | — | B+ | C+ |
| Courtland Township | #109 | A | C+ | — | A | A− |
| Pierson Township | #186 | A− | A | — | B | C+ |
Nelson Township, Cedar Springs, Spencer Township, Courtland Township and Pierson Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Nelson Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Nelson Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Nelson Township, MI a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Nelson Township grades B+ overall, better than 70% of U.S. towns and #238 of 697 in Michigan. It grades B− for health and B+ for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Nelson Township, MI expensive?
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 B+.