Nelson is a Republican stronghold. About 19% of voters here vote Democratic and 81% Republican.
About 66% of adults in Nelson typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Nelson, ~13% vote Democratic, ~53% Republican, and ~34% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Nelson compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Nelson leans more Republican than 69 of 94 neighbors.
Nelson runs about 59 points more Republican than Pennsylvania as a whole.
Why Nelson leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Nelson, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with a high white share and below-average college attainment vote Republican. In Nelson, about 97% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 25 points above the U.S. average of 72%; about 15% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, about 10 points below the Pennsylvania average of 26%.
Park access and Republican lean
Places with low park coverage tend to lean Republican; Nelson, PA sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in Nelson looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 91% of households in Nelson own their home, about 12 points above the Pennsylvania average of 79%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Elkland, PA R+47
- Freeman, NY R+61
- Osceola, PA R+62
- Lawrenceville, PA R+54
- Niles Valley, PA R+62
- Tioga, PA R+57
- Tioga Junction, PA R+55
- Lindley, NY R+45
- Borden, NY R+61
- Somers Lane, PA R+58
Cities with Similar Populations
- Okesa, OK R+65
- Hendersonville, PA R+11
- Dorange, SC R+16
- Stith, TX R+79
- Borderland, WV R+77
- Neva, TN R+66
- Hobart, PA R+38
- Town Creek, NC R+39
- Sunny Hill Estates, IL R+30
- Butts, GA R+37
All Local Stats
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Elections, distributed by the Voting and Election Science Team. Demographic inputs come from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-year estimates and the 2020 Decennial Census). Health and environmental inputs come from the CDC (PLACES and the Environmental Justice Index). Land cover comes from the USGS and EPA. Election-day and lead-up weather come from PRISM 4km daily grids and the NOAA Global Historical Climatology Network. Mail-voting and election-administration patterns come from the MIT Election Lab's Survey of the Performance of American Elections. Block-group crime detail comes from CrimeGrade. Internet data and modeling support provided by ISPreports.org.
Modeling and analysis by the BestNeighborhood data science team. Full methodology and findings: political spectrum map.
Methodology reviewed by the BestNeighborhood data team. Last updated May 2026.