US Route 13 092505 1062, 2007
Nelsonia’s story
141 years in pictures
The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 3 maps from 1942 on.
- 1885Nelsonia is settled
NelsoniaVA
A town of 608, settled in 1885.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Pi.1415926535 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
608
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$136K
Census ACS
Household income
$89K
median
Median age
41.9
years
Jobs based here
52
A commuter town
Is Nelsonia a good place to live?
16% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Nelsonia, below both the Virginia town median (44%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Nelsonia has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
608 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
BloxomGargathaNelsonia
Getting set up
Moving to Nelsonia: who provides what
Nelsonia is unincorporated, so Accomack County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerA & N Electric Coop14.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet4 providers91% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesAccomack CountyAccomack County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Virginia you can register online until 11 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 11 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereAccomack General RegistrarAccomack County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jan 2016
ZIP codes23308, 23414, 2340723308 70% · 23414 21% · 23407 9%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Nelsonia.
Work & commute
Nelsonia has 0.3 jobs per working resident, so most workers leave town for work
The top destinations are Accomac (4%), Newport News (4%) and Exmore (3%). Just 1% of Nelsonia’s working residents have a job in town. In Nelsonia, the average commute is 20 minutes, where Virginia’s towns sit at 27 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. 13% of residents live below the poverty line here.
1%work in town
| Nelsonia | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 7.7% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.6% | 4.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Nelsonia1%
Accomac4%
Newport News4%
Exmore3%
Virginia Beach3%
41 mi
median commute distance
52
jobs based in Nelsonia
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Nelsonia faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by hurricanes
Expected losses in Nelsonia break down as 66% from hurricanes and 21% from inland flooding. The natural-hazard score from FEMA in the town is 68 of 100.
68risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Nelsonia, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 29° and about 8 inches of snow falls in a winter.
8″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter31–49°
Spring46–66°
Summer67–85°
Fall51–70°
Nov 11
typical first frost
Mar 31
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Nelsonia is
Nelsonia beats the Virginia average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18. The share of adults in Nelsonia who have high blood pressure: 43%. Only 9 of the 254 Virginia towns we compare have a higher share of adults who worry about having enough food than Nelsonia.
| Nelsonia | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 11% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 33% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 17% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 23% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Virginia
1 better13 too close to call18 worse
| What stands out | Nelsonia | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.9% | 7.7% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 24.8% | 13.1% |
Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital
11.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearby attractions
All 15 attractions →USS Texas and 5 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Nelsonia. Close and well known come first.
28 mi Ancient siteUSS Texas
10 mi National SeashoreAssateague Island National Seashore2.3M visitors a year
4 mi MuseumEastern Shore Railway Museum37 mi Zoo & aquariumSalisbury Zoo
11 mi MuseumNASA Visitor Center
36 mi GardenSalisbury University ArboretumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
USS Texas: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Assateague Island National Seashore: Fritz Geller-Grimm, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Eastern Shore Railway Museum: Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0 · NASA Visitor Center: Leonard J. DeFrancisci, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Salisbury University Arboretum: Leonard J. DeFrancisci, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Nelsonia
15pages on Nelsonia
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Nelsonia; the nearest are
Eastern Shore Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Melfa15.4 mi$5,082 in-state tuitionUniversity of Maryland Eastern ShoreUniversity or college · Public · Princess Anne, MD27.1 mi$9,076 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Nelsonia residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Virginia.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Nelsonia for work
Where Nelsonia’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
52jobs based in Nelsonia
1%of working residents work in town
41 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Nelsonia
Census-designated place in Virginia, United States
Nelsonia is a census-designated place (CDP) in Accomack County, Virginia, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 451.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 49 ft
- ZIP code
- 23414
Questions about Nelsonia
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Nelsonia, VA a good place to live?
Nelsonia has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.