Photo: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0In Nelson, 96% of adult citizens voted for president in 2024, more than across New Hampshire
Nelson’s town government spent $136,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $184 per resident. These are Census Bureau estimates: Nelson didn’t report its figures, so this page shows them without comparisons.
What stands out about how Nelson is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
How Nelson voted in 2024
Official results for Nelson’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat57.5%257 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican40.3%180 votesOthers: 2.2% (10 votes).
Most votes in Nelson: Kamala D Harris
Cheshire County: Harris 54.2%, Trump 44.2% · New Hampshire: Harris 50.7%, Trump 47.9%
of Nelson’s 467 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across New Hampshire: 74%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Nelson: Joyce Craig
Cheshire County: Craig 49.7%, Ayotte 48.0% · New Hampshire: Ayotte 53.6%, Craig 44.3%
Most votes in the district: Maggie Goodlander
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Nelson, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson | 57.5% | 40.3% | 2.2% | 447 |
| Cheshire County | 54.2% | 44.2% | 1.6% | 45,389 |
| New Hampshire | 50.7% | 47.9% | 1.5% | 826,189 |
Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
About $184 per resident a year, or $0.50 a day
Day-to-day services only (a Census Bureau estimate). The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 71%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Revenue is well above spending. That usually means Nelson collects property taxes for the school district and county and passes them on, so only its own spending is counted.
Nelson didn’t report all of its 2022 figures to the Census Bureau, so most of these numbers are the Bureau’s estimates.
No comparison or trend for Nelson yet
Every year of Nelson’s figures is a Census Bureau estimate: the town reported none of its dollars for 2022. Estimates are shown above, labeled, but never ranked against places that reported or drawn as a trend.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $5,575 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.64% of the home’s value, vs 1.66% across New Hampshire.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Nelson’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Nelson’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Nelson →
Most New Hampshire towns vote on March 9, 2027
Check Nelson’s own dates: some towns hold the business session on another day or vote by ballot (SB2).
Nelson’s meetings aren’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on its website.
Town website ↗Most New Hampshire towns vote on the second Tuesday in March: officers are elected and warrant articles, including the budget, are decided.
Some towns hold the business session on another day, and some vote by ballot (SB2). Check Nelson’s site for its warrant and dates.
Who’s in charge in Nelson
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 247 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (740).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Nelson School District
Nelson’s elementary school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $26,889 per pupil, $13,571 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
New Hampshire districts overall: 64% local, 28% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Nelson.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: townofnelson.com ↗
- 2New Hampshire House2 districts, 2 seatsCheshire 81 seat, shared with Harrisville, Marlborough, Roxbury and SullivanCheshire 161 seat, a floterial district shared with Alstead, Gilsum, Harrisville, Keene Ward 2, Marlborough, Marlow, Roxbury, Stoddard and SullivanMember not listed yet
- 3New Hampshire SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of New Hampshire
New Hampshire elects some House members from “floterial” districts that join several towns; districts from RSA 662:5 (2022).
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Nelson compares with the towns next door
Nelson’s own figures are Census estimates, so it isn’t placed among its neighbors. 2 of the 4 towns next door reported 2022 figures, from $733 to $989 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Roxbury | $733 | $5,787 |
| Stoddard | $989 | $4,316 |
| Harrisville | estimate | $5,329 |
| Sullivan | estimate | $5,099 |
| Nelson | estimate | $5,575 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Nelson’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Nelson’s government
How much does Nelson spend per resident?
About $184 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, a Census Bureau estimate (Nelson didn’t report its figures). With building projects and interest, the whole budget was about $136,000.
What is the property tax rate in Nelson?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $5,575 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.64% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.66% across New Hampshire. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see townofnelson.com.
Who runs Nelson’s government?
See townofnelson.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Nelson yet.
How did Nelson vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 57.5%, Donald J Trump 40.3% (447 votes, official results). Cheshire County: Harris 54.2%, Trump 44.2%. New Hampshire: Harris 50.7%, Trump 47.9%.
How many people work for Nelson?
3 full-time and 10 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $27,188 (about $326,256 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Nelson in the state legislature?
State Senate District 10 (Donovan Fenton); State House Cheshire 8 (1 seat, shared with Harrisville, Marlborough, Roxbury and Sullivan) and Cheshire 16 (1 floterial seat shared with Alstead, Gilsum, Harrisville, Keene Ward 2, Marlborough, Marlow, Roxbury, Stoddard and Sullivan). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is town meeting in Nelson?
Most New Hampshire towns vote on the second Tuesday in March (March 9, 2027). Some hold the business session on another day or vote by ballot (SB2), so check townofnelson.com for Nelson’s own dates.
Ask neighbors about Nelson’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (for Nelson, the Bureau’s estimates); day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts), NH RSA 662:5; legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →