Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 581.
The biggest park or preserve is Tiffany Wildlife Area, at 6,599 acres. Nelson has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Nelson beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 389 in 1980, 322 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1968 and 3 maps from 1932 on.
Explore the history →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.
Ordered by what stands out in Nelson.
Here, a quarter of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree, against 33% in Wisconsin as a whole. In Nelson, the age of the median resident is 59.2 years, against 42.1 years in Wisconsin’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. 13% of Nelson residents are under 18.
| Nelson | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 39% | 20% | 18% |
| Median age | 59.2 years | 42.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 13% | 21% | 22% |
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.2 points. Across Wisconsin, 49.9% of residents are women.
| Nelson | WI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 5.5% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.2% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.6% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 2.8% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 6.4% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.6% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 22.8% | 13.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 23.8% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 15.3% | 7.3% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.6% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.2% | 29.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.1% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.6% | 11.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 14.8% | 22% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.8% | 11.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 600, single groups can be off by several points
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tiffany Wildlife Area | 0.4 mi | 6,599 |
| 2. Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge | 0.1 mi | 4,832 |
| 3. Tiffany Bottoms State Natural Area | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
3.9% of residents live below the poverty line in Nelson. The top destinations are Wabasha (12%), Alma (9%) and La Crosse (6%). Half of commuters travel less than 26 miles.
| Nelson | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.9% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.5% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $78,000 | $87,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical July afternoon high for Nelson comes to 82°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
CDC measures, 32 in all: Nelson beats Wisconsin on 4 and trails on 9. The share of adults in Nelson who feel lonely: 29%. Among adults in the town, 39% have high blood pressure and 30% get no exercise outside work.
| Nelson | Wisconsin towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 33% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| What stands out | Nelson | WI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8% | 9.7% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 4.7% | 5.5% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.7% | 6.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nelson has had 3 paid flood insurance claims since 1997. On expected storm and flood damage, Nelson sits below 51% of U.S. communities. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2010. Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 53% come from inland flooding and 16% from cold waves.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Nelson; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Nelson residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Wisconsin.
Where Nelson’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Village in Wisconsin, United States
Nelson is a village in Buffalo County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 322 at the 2020 census. The village is surrounded by the Town of Nelson. Nelson is located at the junction of the Mississippi River and Chippewa River valleys. The river bottoms surrounding the confluence are home to a large amount of wildlife. A causeway and bridge across the Mississippi River link Nelson with the city of Wabasha, Minnesota at the junction of Wisconsin Highway 25 and Wisconsin Highway 35. Southbound Highway 25 becomes Minnesota Highway 60 upon crossing the Mississippi River to Wabasha. Nelson lies on Wisconsin Highway 35, the "Great River Road," a popular tourist route that runs along …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Nelson has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.