Population 461 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Nelson
Household size in Nelson
| Period | Nelson | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.72 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.43 | 2.68 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.58 | 2.68 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.83 | 2.62 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.89 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Nelson are small: just 1.83 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.72, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Nelson
| Period | Nelson | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 48.6 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 47.8 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 49.9 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 58.7 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +10.1 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 58.7, Nelson is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Nelson
| Period | Nelson | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.0% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 2.9% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.0% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.8% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −7.1 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Nelson: 4.8% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Nelson
Renters in Nelson
| Period | Nelson | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.4% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.7% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.7% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 22.9% | 32.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nelson is largely a place of homeowners: only 22.9% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 68.5% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Nelson
| Period | Nelson | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.9% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.3% | 10.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 38.0% | 9.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.2% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −18.7 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 15.2% of the housing in Nelson, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Nelson
| Period | Nelson | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1980 | 1978 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1977 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1978 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | −2 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Nelson are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1978, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in Virginia as a whole, where the median home dates to 1984.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Nelson
| Period | Nelson | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $597 | $1,143 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $636 | $1,238 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $690 | $1,436 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $691 | $1,743 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$93 | +$600 | +$606 |
Rent in Nelson runs $691 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 14.9% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Nelson
Bachelor's degrees in Nelson
| Period | Nelson | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.3% | 35.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.8% | 36.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 5.7% | 39.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.8% | 42.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +12.5 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Nelson have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 15.8%, against 35.6% nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Nelson
| Period | Nelson | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 65.8% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 82.7% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 69.8% | 89.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.5% | 91.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +20.7 pts | +4.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in seven adults in Nelson never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 86.5% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Nelson
| Period | Nelson | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.1% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.1% | 7.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 0.6% | 4.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.0% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −9.1 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
The survey found almost no one in Nelson out of work and looking, against 5.4% of the labor force nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Nelson compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson | 1.83 | 58.7 | 4.8% | 22.9% | 15.2% | 1978 | $691 | 15.8% | 86.5% | 0.0% |
| Buffalo Junction | 2.05 | 50.5 | 5.1% | 29.5% | 33.7% | 1982 | $707 | 23.7% | 83.2% | 1.4% |
| Puryear Corner | 2.21 | 54.0 | 6.0% | 34.8% | 24.3% | 1978 | $812 | 26.3% | 85.9% | 4.8% |
| Buffalo Springs | 2.01 | 50.6 | 4.0% | 28.7% | 36.6% | 1983 | $699 | 23.3% | 79.4% | 0.0% |
| Bullock | 2.56 | 46.8 | 10.5% | 18.1% | 13.3% | 1990 | $795 | 14.3% | 89.2% | 6.3% |
| Virgilina | 2.75 | 41.8 | 12.4% | 16.2% | 34.4% | 1976 | $1,133 | 18.5% | 88.3% | 1.4% |
| Clarksville | 2.13 | 53.2 | 8.8% | 25.6% | 30.9% | 1982 | $777 | 30.0% | 92.3% | 3.5% |
| Jeffress | 2.06 | 54.6 | 9.3% | 24.8% | 35.4% | 1988 | $775 | 27.5% | 90.2% | 1.5% |
| Stovall | 2.82 | 40.1 | 14.3% | 24.3% | 13.0% | 1990 | $778 | 18.8% | 90.9% | 13.0% |
| Midway | 2.13 | 47.3 | 7.9% | 18.8% | 32.3% | 1974 | $1,445 | 24.2% | 87.4% | 0.6% |
| Satterwhite | 2.79 | 38.2 | 16.4% | 19.8% | 21.2% | 1980 | $913 | 15.2% | 88.1% | 3.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Caney, LA · Black River, MI · Blue Mountain, AL · Bowdle, SD · Bremo Bluff, VA · Buda, CO · Bumpus Mills, TN · Burlington, WY · Burnsville, WV · Busy Corner, MS
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Nelson. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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