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Nelson Wisconsin Downtown WIS35Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Nelson handbook

Living in Nelson, WI: what to set up and who to call

Power in Nelson comes from Riverland Energy Cooperative, a cooperative utility rather than a private company. Elections in Nelson are run by Nelson itself; register with the Town of Nelson Clerk.

Which school will my kid attend?How do I register to vote?ZIP codes

I’m new in town

What to set up in Nelson, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.

PowerRiverland Energy Cooperativecooperative utility · 16.2¢/kWhMore →Internet8 providers78% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsMore →Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Nelson’s trash rules yetMore →SchoolAlma School DistrictWhich school depends on grade and addressMore →Register to voteOnlineRules from vote.govMore →ZIP codes54756, 54610, 54736Where people live, not P.O. boxesMore →
Home services

Power, water and internet

Who to call to start service at a new address in Nelson.

Electricity

Power comes from Riverland Energy Cooperative

Riverland Energy Cooperative (Riverland Energy Cooperative), a cooperative utility, serves 99.5% of Nelson residents. Its homes paid an average of 16.2¢ per kWh in 2025, about $172 a month (its average across Wisconsin).

Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.

Internet

8 home internet providers serve Nelson

78% of 375 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 73% can get fiber.

ProviderTechnologyAddressesFastest (Mbps)
Nelson Communications CooperativeFiber69%1,000/1,000
TDS TelecomDSL13%25/5
Cochrane Cooperative Telephone CompanyFiber3%1,000/1,000
Bug TusselFixed wireless41%25/5
VerizonFixed wireless30%300/20
HBCFixed wireless21%100/20

FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.

Trash & recycling

We don’t have Nelson’s trash rules yet

Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Nelson.

Trash, recycling and bulk pickupNot on fileOpenStreetMap lists no public drop-off in Nelson or within 5 miles (as of Oct 9, 2026); map coverage varies by town.
Schools

Where your child goes to school

Public school districts and the school path by grade.

Nelson kids go to
PK–82 schoolsDepends on your address
9–122 high schoolsDepends on your address

Most of Nelson (60%) is in Alma School District; parts are in Durand School District (40%).

Test scores and every school: see Schools →

U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.

Government & voting

Town hall and registering to vote

Who to call, and how to register.

Town HallBudget, officials, electionsNelson’s government in one page
Who runs elections hereTown of Nelson ClerkNelson runs its own elections (town clerk). S833 County Road I, Nelson, WI 54756-8009 · (715) 673-4977 · [email protected]FVAP, Jun 2025
Register to voteOnlineIn Wisconsin you can register online until 20 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 20 days before).vote.govCheck your registration and polling placemyvote.wi.govThe state’s voter lookup

Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jun 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

ZIP codes & area codes

Nelson spans 3 ZIP codes

ZIP codes where Nelson residents live, with the share of the town in each.

ZIPPost office nameShare of NelsonZIP’s residents in Nelson
54756Nelson, WI69%44%
54610Alma, WI18%7%
54736Durand, WI13%2%

Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.

Everyday places

Getting around, the ER and the library

One line each; the subject pages have the rest.

Nearest emergency roomSt. Elizabeth Medical Center5.2 miles awayGet a library cardWabasha Public Library168 Alleghany Ave · (651) 565-3927

ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.

Questions about living in Nelson

Who provides electricity in Nelson?

Riverland Energy Cooperative (Riverland Energy Cooperative), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 16.2¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).

What internet providers serve Nelson?

Nelson Communications Cooperative, TDS Telecom, Cochrane Cooperative Telephone Company, Bug Tussel, Verizon, HBC (FCC, as of December 2025).

What ZIP codes are in Nelson?

54756 (69%), 54610 (18%), 54736 (13%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.

What school district is Nelson in?

Alma School District. Parts of the city are in Durand School District.

How do I register to vote in Nelson?

In Wisconsin you can register online until 20 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 20 days before). Elections here are run by the Town of Nelson Clerk. Check your registration at myvote.wi.gov.

Sources & dates

Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.

  • Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
  • Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
  • ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
  • Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
  • Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
  • Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
  • Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.