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Community Profiles

Nelson, NH


nelson New Hampshire Community Profile Community Contact Town of Nelson
Edie Drinkwater, Administrative Assistant
7 Nelson Common Road
Nelson, NH 03457
Telephone (603) 847-0047
Fax (603) 847-3197
E-mail execadmin@nelsonnh.us
Web Site www.townofnelson.org

Municipal Office Hours Selectmen: meet every other Wednesday at 3; Administrative Assistant, Town Clerk, and Tax Collector: Tuesday, 9-6, Thursday 9-12, or by appointment

County Cheshire
Labor Market Area Keene, NH Micropolitan NECTA
Tourism Region Monadnock
Planning Commission Southwest Region
Regional Development Monadnock Economic Development Corp.

Election Districts
US Congress District District 2
Executive Council District District 2
State Senate District District 10
State Representative Cheshire County Districts 8, 16

Incorporated: 1774
Origin: One of the original border towns, this territory was first granted in 1752 as Monadnock No. 6. In 1774, it was renamed Packersfield after Thomas Packer, high sheriff of Portsmouth, who was one of the Masonian Proprietors. In 1777, some residents petitioned to rename the town Sullivan. The petition failed, but in 1786, a portion of the town was combined with part of Gilsum and Keene to form the town of Sullivan. Packersfield kept that name until 1814, when it was renamed in honor of Lord Horatio Nelson, who died on board the British ship Victory in the war against Napoleon.
Villages and Place Names: Munsonville
Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 721 residents in 1790
Population Trends: Population change for Nelson totaled 327 over 50 years, from 304 in 1970 to 631 in 2020. The 2022 Census estimate for Nelson was 647 residents, which ranked 213th among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.
Population Density and Land Area, 2022 (US Census Bureau): 29.5 persons per square mile of land area. Nelson contains 22.0 square miles of land area and 1.4 square miles of inland water area.

Municipal Services
Type of Government Selectmen
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2021 $1,144,891
Budget: School Appropriations, 2021-2022 $2,282,201
Zoning Ordinance 1970/21
Master Plan 2009
Capitol Improvement Plan No
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board
Boards and Commissions
Elected:Selectmen; Planning; Zoning; Library; Cemetery; Highway Equip.; Fire & Rescue Equip.
Appointed:Conservation; Agricultural
Public Library Olivia Rodham Memorial

Emergency Services
Police Department Part-time
Fire Department On-Call
Emergency Medical Service Volunteer
Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Cheshire Medical Center, Keene 11 miles 94
Monadnock Community, Peterborough 20 miles 25

Utilities
Electric Supplier Eversource Energy
Natural Gas Supplier None
Water Supplier Private wells
Sanitation Private septic
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant No
Solid Waste Disposal
Curbside Trash PickupPrivate
Pay-As-You-Throw ProgramYes
Recycling ProgramNone
Telephone Company Consolidated Communications
Cellular Telephone Access Limited
Cable Television Access Yes
Public Access Television Station No
High Speed Internet Service:
BusinessLimited
ResidentialLimited

(NH Dept. of Revenue Administration) Property Taxes
2022 Total Tax Rate (per $1,000 of value) $14.12
2022 Equalization Ratio 99.8
2022 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1,000 of value) $14.04
2022 Percent of Local Assessed Value by Property Type
Residential Land and Buildings94.6%
Commercial Land and Buildings2.1%
Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other3.4%

(ACS 2017-2021) Housing
Total Housing Units 453
Single-Family Units, Detached or Attached 414
Units in Multiple-Family Structures:  
Two to Four Units in Structure 9
Five or More Units in Structure 0
Mobile Homes and Other Housing Units 30
(US Census Bureau) Population
(1-Year Estimates/Decennial)
Total Population Community County
2022 647 77,350
2020 629 76,458
2010 729 77,117
2000 635 73,993
1990 536 70,223
1980 442 62,116
 
Demographics, American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021
Population by Gender
Male:   266 Female:   320
Population by Age Group
Under age 5 36
Age 5 to 19 68
Age 20 to 34 82
Age 35 to 54 108
Age 55 to 64 132
Age 65 and over 160
Median Age 54.9 years
Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over 463
High school graduate or higher 97.2%
Bachelor's degree or higher 56.6%

(ACS 2017-2021) Income, Inflation Adjusted $
Per capita income $51,670
Median family income $99,286
Median household income $87,083
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male $52,500
Female $61,500
Individuals below the poverty level 8.5%

(NHES - ELMI) Labor Force
Annual Average 2012 2022
Civilian Labor Force 453 419
Employed 436 411
Unemployed 17 8
Unemployment Rate 3.8% 1.9%

(NHES - ELMI) Employment & Wages
Annual Average Covered Employment 2012 2022
Goods Producing Industries
Average Employment n 15
Average Weekly Wage n $842
     
Service Providing Industries
Average Employment n 28
Average Weekly Wage n $894
     
Total Private Industry
Average Employment n 43
Average Weekly Wage n $876
     
Government (Federal, State, and Local)
Average Employment 18 18
Average Weekly Wage $547 $625
     
Total, Private plus Government
Average Employment n 61
Average Weekly Wage n $801

If "n" appears, data does not meet disclosure standards.


(NH Dept. of Education) Education and Child Care
Schools students attend: Nelson operates grades K-5; grades 6-12 are tuitioned to Keene SAU 29
Career Technology Center(s): Cheshire Career Center (Keene); Fall Mountain RHS - CTE
Educational Facilities (includes Charter Schools) Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools 1
Grade Levels K 1-5 9-12
Total Enrollment 59
2022 NH Licensed Child Care Facilities (Bureau of Child Care Licensing): Total Facilities: 1 Total Capacity: 8
Nearest Community/Technical College: River Valley; Nashua
Nearest Colleges or Universities: Keene State; Franklin Pierce; Antioch New England

Largest Businesses Product/Service Employees Established
Not Available

Employer Information Supplied by Municipality


(Distance estimated from city/town hall) Transportation
Road Access US Routes
State Routes 9, 123
Nearest Interstate, Exit I-91 (VT), Exit 3
Distance 28 miles
Railroad No
Public Transportation No
 
Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
Dillant-Hopkins, SwanzeyRunway6,201 ft. asphalt
Lighted? Yes Navigational Aids? Yes
Nearest Airport with Scheduled Service
Manchester-Boston Regional Distance 48 miles
Number of Passenger Airlines Serving Airport 4
 
Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH 58 miles
Portland, ME 150 miles
Boston, MA 87 miles
New York City, NY 233 miles
Montreal, Quebec 252 miles

(ACS 2017-2021) Commuting to Work
Workers 16 years and over 289
Drove alone, car/truck/van 71.3%
Carpooled, car/truck/van 8.0%
Public transportation 0.0%
Walked 4.8%
Other Means 0.3%
Worked at home 15.6%
Mean Travel Time to Work 29.0 minutes
 
Percent of Working Residents: (ACS 2017-2021)
Working in community of residence 20.4%
Commuting to another NH community 75.1%
Commuting out-of-state 4.5%
Recreation, Attractions, and Events
X Municipal Parks
YMCA/YWCA
Boys Club/Girls Club
Golf Courses
Swimming: Indoor Facility
Swimming: Outdoor Facility
Tennis Courts: Indoor Facility
Tennis Courts: Outdoor Facility
Ice Skating Rink: Indoor Facility
Bowling Facilities
Museums
Cinemas
X Performing Arts Facilities
Tourist Attractions
X Youth Organizations (i.e., Scouts, 4-H)
Youth Sports: Baseball
Youth Sports: Soccer
Youth Sports: Football
Youth Sports: Basketball
Youth Sports: Hockey
Campgrounds
X Fishing/Hunting
X Boating/Marinas
X Snowmobile Trails
Bicycle Trails
Cross Country Skiing
X Beach or Waterfront Recreational Area
Overnight or Day Camps
   
Nearest Ski Area(s): Pat's Peak, Granite Gorge
   
Other: Boat Landing; Monadnock Sunapee Trail; Local Artisans Art Gallery; Sucker Brook Cove Wildlife Sanctuary; Partridge Woods Hiking Trails

Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau, NH Employment Security, October 2023. Community Response Received 6/6/23

All information regarding the communities is from sources deemed reliable and is submitted subject to errors, omissions, modifications, and withdrawals without notice. No warranty or representation is made as to the accuracy of the information contained herein. Specific questions regarding individual cities and towns should be directed to the community contact.

 

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