Nelson is a town in Buffalo County in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

. The population was 571 at the 2010 census. The village of Nelson is located within the town. The unincorporated community of Misha Mokwa ( ) and railroad junction Trevino are located in the town. The unincorporated community of Urne is located partially in the town.

Geography

Nelson is located in western Buffalo County, along the

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

and Chippewa rivers. The Mississippi forms the southwest border of the town, with Wabasha County, Minnesota, on the opposite shore. The Chippewa, a tributary of the Mississippi, forms the western border of the town, with Pepin County, Wisconsin, to the west. The town of Nelson surrounds the village of Nelson, a separate municipality slightly southwest of the geographic center of the town. The city of

Alma, Wisconsin Alma is a city in and the county seat of Buffalo County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 716 at the 2020 census. History Alma was named in commemoration of the Battle of Alma, in the Crimean War. Geography Alma is located on ...

, is along the town's southern border. The Wabasha–Nelson Bridge carries Wisconsin Highway 25 across the Mississippi River from Nelson village to the city of Wabasha, Minnesota. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town of Nelson has a total area of , of which is land and , or 12.48%, is water.

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 586 people, 221 households, and 167 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was 8.3 people per square mile (3.2/km²). There were 265 housing units at an average density of 3.8 per square mile (1.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.29%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.17%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 1.19% Asian, and 0.34% from two or more races. 1.71% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. There were 221 households, out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 5.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.0% were non-families. 19.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.04. In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.5% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 114.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $44,063, and the median income for a family was $49,000. Males had a median income of $27,750 versus $22,917 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $23,633. About 4.0% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 14.0% of those under age 18 and 19.8% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* James L. Hallock, farmer and politician, lived in the town'The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin 1870,' Biographical Sketch of James L. Hallock, pg. 358

References

{{authority control Towns in Buffalo County, Wisconsin Towns in Wisconsin