Nelson and Albin Cooperative Mercantile Association Store · National Register of Historic Places
Nelson Township’s story
Nelson Township in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Nelson TownshipMN
A town of 242.
5 bordering townsMap →
Nelson and Albin Cooperative Mercantile Association Store · Photo: Jatakuck · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
242
2025 Census estimate · +1.7% since 2020
Median home value
$300K
Census ACS
Household income
$109K
median
Median age
54.8
years
Jobs based here
20
A commuter town
Is Nelson Township a good place to live?
Nelson Township’s median age is 54.8 years, above both the Minnesota town median (39.9 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). The biggest park or preserve is Mulligan Slough Wildlife Management Area, at 166 acres. Nelson Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
242 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Albin TownshipRiverdale TownshipAdrian TownshipSt. James TownshipMulligan TownshipNelson Township
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.
PowerSouth Central Electric Assn15.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterRed Rock Rural Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Nelson Township’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Minnesota you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereWatonwan County CourthouseWatonwan County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes56081, 5601956081 98% · 56019 2%Census 2020
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 Township.
Work & commute
With 0.2 jobs for every working resident, most of Nelson Township’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Nelson Township for work: only 0% work in town. At 17 minutes, Nelson Township’s average trip to work is against 23 minutes in Minnesota’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. The median household income in Nelson Township is $109,000.
0%work in town
| Nelson Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $109,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 3.9% | 7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Nelson Township0%
Madelia20%
Mankato14%
New Ulm10%
St. James7%
25 mi
median commute distance
20
jobs based in Nelson Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Nelson Township
Nelson Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 6° and about 50 inches of snow falls in a winter.
50″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter10–27°
Spring35–55°
Summer60–81°
Fall38–59°
Oct 7
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
More of Nelson Township’s adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance than in the typical Minnesota or U.S. town
15% of Nelson Township adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance. Nelson Township beats the Minnesota average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16. 75% of Nelson Township adults had a checkup this year.
| Nelson Township | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 7.3% | 8.1% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 23% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 16% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 10% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Minnesota
0 better16 too close to call16 worse
| What stands out | Nelson Township | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 14.7% | 7.5% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.1% | 8.9% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 17.4% | 11.4% |
Mayo Clinic Health System St. James
5.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Nelson Township
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 57% of U.S. communities.
57risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
2.9%conserved
2.9%
conserved · 646 of 22,664 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mulligan Slough Wildlife Management Area | — | 166 |
| 2. Voss Wildlife Management Area | — | 43 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Nelson Township
17pages on Nelson Township
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Nelson Township; the nearest are
Martin Luther CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · New Ulm19.3 mi$18,120 tuitionSouth Central CollegeCommunity college · Public · North Mankato31.8 mi$6,146 in-state tuitionMinnesota State University-MankatoUniversity or college · Public · Mankato33.7 mi$9,572 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Nelson Township residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Minnesota.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Nelson Township for work
Where Nelson Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
20jobs based in Nelson Township
0%of working residents work in town
25 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Nelson Township
Township in Minnesota, United States
Nelson Township is a township in Watonwan County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 309 at the 2000 census. Nelson Township was organized in 1870.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 36 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,050 ft
Questions about Nelson Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Nelson Township, MN a good place to live?
Nelson Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.