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Living in Nelson

Nelson is a city in Canada, and the figures below are its published values. Its population was 11,467 at the end of 2022. The city faced an unemployment rate of 9.47% at the end of 2021. Nelson's foreign population totalled 1,615 at the end of 2021.

Which Canada-wide rules apply when you move to Nelson?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in CanadaNational rates and thresholds that apply in Nelson.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

The share of renter households spending 30% or more on housing reached 22.8% at the end of 2021.

No city-level rent or cost figure is published for Nelson yet. We do not infer one from another place.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Households spending over 30% of income on rent22.8 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada8Official
Dwellings5,314 dwellings31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada6Official
G05 Main Residential Dwellings4,948 dwellings31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada9Official

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Nelson?

The unemployment rate is about 9.5 % (2021).

  • Unemployment rate: 9.47 % · Statistics Canada10
Unemployment across cities in CanadaUnemployment in Nelson is 9.5%. Of 485 cities with data, 119 have unemployment of 6 to under 8%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in Canada per band1 city: 0% to under 2%10–210 cities: 2% to under 4%102–497 cities: 4% to under 6%974–6119 cities: 6% to under 8%1196–8103 cities: 8% to under 10%1038–10Nelson 9.5%75 cities: 10% to under 12%7510–1251 cities: 12% to under 14%5112–1418 cities: 14% to under 16%1814–168 cities: 16% to under 18%816–181 city: 18% to under 20%118–202 cities: 20% to under 22%220–22

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Employment rate61.4 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada9Official
Median gross salary (regional)1,777 EUR/month31 Dec 2020www150.statcan.gc.ca13Official
Unemployment rate9.47 %country median 8.3%31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada10Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Nelson. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Job Bank and public employment services — Public employment service

Government of Canada

Job SearchMigrant Support
Open official service
Open the Canada service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Nelson. Sources checked through 12 Aug 2026.

Mobility and administration

Nelson's nearest airport was YCG, 34 km away and offered 2 direct destinations.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Airport Direct Destinations Count2 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights3Official
Nearest Major Airport Distance Km34 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports4Official
Nearest Major Airport IataYCG3 Aug 2026OurAirports4Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Nelson. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

IRCC newcomer language-learning services finder — State Language Course

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

For newcomers to Canada.

English, Frenchfree
Open official information
Open the full Canada section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Nelson.

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Nelson?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 7.1 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

  • PM2.5 — annual mean: 7.14 µg/m³ · data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca1
Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Nelson average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C-10°0°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND29°-3°Daytime highNight-time low
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Nelson annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5257.1PM2.5µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in CanadaAnnual PM2.5 in Nelson is 7.1 µg/m³. Of 92 cities with data, 33 have annual PM2.5 of 3 to under 4 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in Canada per band2 cities: 1 µg/m³ to under 2 µg/m³21–216 cities: 2 µg/m³ to under 3 µg/m³162–333 cities: 3 µg/m³ to under 4 µg/m³333–413 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³134–512 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³125–61 city: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³16–71 city: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³17–8Nelson 7.11 city: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³18–92 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³29–102 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³210–111 city: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³113–142 cities: 15 µg/m³ to under 16 µg/m³215–163 cities: 16 µg/m³ to under 17 µg/m³316–171 city: 17 µg/m³ to under 18 µg/m³117–181 city: 20 µg/m³ to under 21 µg/m³120–211 city: 40 µg/m³ to under 41 µg/m³140–41

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean7.14 µg/m³31 Dec 2024data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca1Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context
Average daytime high by monthJan 1.4 · Feb 4.1 · Mar 8.9 · Apr 14.5 · May 20.1 · Jun 22.9 · Jul 28.5 · Aug 28.1 · Sep 21.9 · Oct 13.1 · Nov 5.5 · Dec 1 °C31 Dec 1991Environment and Climate Change Canada2Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan -2.9 · Feb -2.9 · Mar -0.2 · Apr 2.7 · May 6.5 · Jun 9.8 · Jul 12.7 · Aug 12.6 · Sep 8.8 · Oct 3.9 · Nov 0.3 · Dec -3 °C31 Dec 1991Environment and Climate Change Canada2Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan -0.7 · Feb 0.6 · Mar 4.4 · Apr 8.6 · May 13.3 · Jun 16.4 · Jul 20.7 · Aug 20.4 · Sep 15.4 · Oct 8.5 · Nov 2.9 · Dec -1 °C31 Dec 1991Environment and Climate Change Canada2Official · nearest-station reading

Cities of a similar size in Canada

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All Canada cities
Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts11,484 residentsSaint-Hippolyte11,499 residentsSaint-Raymond11,390 residentsL'Île-Perrot11,548 residentsWilliams Lake11,385 residentsElliot Lake11,551 residents

Population and city profile

An area of 11.9 km² comprised Nelson at the end of 2021. Households in Nelson numbered 4,950 at the end of 2021. Median age stood at 42.4 years at the end of 2021.

How many people live in Nelson?

The published population was 11,467 people in 2022. Source: Statistics Canada7

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Nelson residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport85.9%Foreign residents14.1%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Area11.93 km²31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada9Official
City area11.93 km²31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada11Official
Foreign-resident share15.06 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada5Official
Foreign residents1,615 people31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada5Official
Population density930.6 people/km²31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada11Official
Population11,467 people31 Dec 2022Statistics Canada7Official
Population over time22 published observations, 2001–2022
Population in Nelson by year, residents9,34010,14110,94111,7422001200520092015202211,467residents

Population rose 17.5% between 2001 and 2022, from 9,756 to 11,467.

Is Nelson a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker44%strong on work, weak on safety · range 34–54%
Skilled employee51%strong on work, weak on safety · range 42–60%
Student50%strong on cost, weak on safety · range 39–61%
Family43%strong on housing, weak on safety · range 32–54%
Retirement51%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 38–64%
Foreign residents1,615 people31 Dec 2021Official source · Statistics Canada
Population11,467 people31 Dec 2022Official source · Statistics Canada
Households spending over 30% of income on rent22.8 %31 Dec 2021Official source · Statistics Canada
Dwellings5,314 dwellings31 Dec 2021Official source · Statistics Canada
Employment rate61.4 %31 Dec 2021Official source · Statistics Canada
Median gross salary (regional)1,777 EUR/month31 Dec 2020Official source · www150.statcan.gc.ca
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-27

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Residents born abroad15.1 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada8Official
Households4,950 households31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada9Official
Labour force participation rate67.8 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada9Official
Median age42.4 years31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada12Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Nelson when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Nelson?

The published population was 11,467 people in 2022. Source: Statistics Canada.

Is the air quality good in Nelson?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 7.1 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca.

What is the unemployment rate in Nelson?

The unemployment rate is about 9.5 % (2021). Source: Statistics Canada.

What is the typical salary around Nelson?

The median gross salary is 1,777 EUR/month. Source: www150.statcan.gc.ca.

How many foreign residents live in Nelson?

1,615 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Statistics Canada.

Is Nelson a good place to live?

Nelson may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). Nelson, Canada: rent, salary, jobs, climate [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/nelson/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_nelson-canada-rent-salary-jobs-climate_0b2e0f652c85,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Nelson, Canada: rent, salary, jobs, climate},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/nelson/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Nelson, Canada: rent, salary, jobs, climate](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/nelson/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-26
  2. Environment and Climate Change Canada climate.weather.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-05
  3. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  4. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  5. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
  6. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
  7. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
  8. Statistics Canada www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
  9. Statistics Canada api.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
  10. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
Show 3 more sources
  1. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
  2. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
  3. www150.statcan.gc.ca www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-27

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.