NelsonMN
A town of 186, settled in 1881.
Is Nelson a good place to live?
3.6% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Nelson, where Minnesota’s towns sit at 33% and U.S. towns at 29%. Nelson has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
186 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 Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Nelson.
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Nelson
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 70% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In Nelson, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Nelson has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. At 80°F, Nelson’s July high is below both Minnesota’s towns (82°F) and U.S. towns (85°F).
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
More than half of Nelson’s working residents commute to Alexandria
Most working residents leave Nelson for work: only 0% work in town. Nelson’s median household income is $57,000. The top destinations are Alexandria (52%), La Grand Township (7%) and Carlos (5%).
| Nelson | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 9% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
How healthy Nelson is
Nelson beats the Minnesota average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 20% of Nelson adults binge drink.
| Nelson | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 31% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 75% | 79% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 12% | 14% |
| What stands out | Nelson | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.6% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Nelson
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Nelson
About 4 of every 100 Nelson residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
About Nelson
City in Minnesota, United States
Nelson is a city in Douglas County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 182 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,362 ft
- ZIP code
- 56355
- Area code
- 320
Questions about Nelson
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Nelson, MN a good place to live?
Nelson has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.