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Nelson

A township of 4,940 people in Kent County, Michigan

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Now in Nelson

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Around town

The places and views that make it Nelson

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The Nelson album

0 of 12 shotsNeighbors document Nelson together

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Outdoors in Nelson

Parks & trails →

Map of Nelson: conserved land, trails and the top places to walk

Conserved land7.6%1,754 of 22,940 acres

Trails2.6 mi0.1 mi per sq mi

Parks & preserves3355 conserved acres per 1,000 residents

1Gordon Park0.2 mi of trails · 25 acres Directions

2Boomer Park0.2 mi of trails · 12 acres

3Salisbury Park0.1 mi of trails · 4 acres Directions

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

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Know Nelson

The town at a glance, and the guide to how things work

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About Nelson

Civil township in Michigan, United States

4,895Population

36.2 sq miArea

906 ftElevation

Nelson Township is a civil township of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,895 at the 2020 census, which was up from 4,774 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area and is located about 20 miles (32 km) northeast of the city of Grand Rapids. The village of Sand Lake is located within Nelson Township.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Nelson ranks

#6Cheapest rent in MI #136Most new homes in MI #286Fastest growing in MI All MI rankings →

Town numbers

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Living in Nelson

Health in Nelson

B⁻

Health Grade B−

Healthier than 48% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates, and 65% of towns with similar incomes.

Compared with Michigan

1worse than MI

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 31 are too close to call.

Conditions 1▼ 11 close Habits all close Care all close Mind all close Everyday needs all close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

29.1%More adults with depressionMI 25.7% · worse

Care nearby

Sheridan Community HospitalSheridan · 21 mi · ER · rural critical access

Montcalm Area Health CenterGreenville · 12.5 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careNo shortage

DentalNo shortage

Mental healthNo shortage

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · ZIP codes 49319, 49343 · CMS · HRSAHealth in Nelson →

Famous people from NelsonWriters, athletes, leaders and more who were born in Nelson.Meet them →

Where Nelson is

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Imported town boundary

Michigan · MI · Kent CountyTown boundary on OpenStreetMap →

Around town

Bordering towns

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Nelson Cedar Springs Spencer Courtland Pierson

SWCedar Springs ESpencer SCourtland NPierson

Compare side by side:Nelson vs Cedar Springs Nelson vs Spencer Nelson vs Courtland Nelson vs Pierson

How things work in Nelson

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