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Living in Nelson

Residents of Nelson numbered 33,805 at the end of 2021. The regional median gross salary reached €2,908 per month at the end of 2024. Nelson had an unemployment rate of 3.3% at the end of 2023.

Last checked 2026-09-2423 sources

Population33,805people31 Dec 2021Official source · Office for National Statistics
Median gross salary (region)2,908EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · Office for National Statistics (ONS)
Average rent872.6EUR/month31 Aug 2026District figureOfficial source · ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, Table 1, Rental price
Unemployment rate3.3%31 Dec 2023Regional figureOfficial source · Office for National Statistics (ONS)
Recorded crime8,534incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2025District figureOfficial source · Police force area tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C4 or P3)
PM2.5, annual mean5.48µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · uk-air.defra.gov.uk

Which United Kingdom-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 United KingdomNational rates and thresholds that apply in Nelson.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent figure is published for Nelson. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month
Nelson recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€24
Mobile plan, 10 GB€13
MetricValuePeriodSource
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited24.02 EUR/month30 Sept 2026BT Full Fibre 1502Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB12.87 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Three 100GB one-month data pack11Official · national market
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)872.6 EUR/month31 Aug 2026ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, Table 1, Rental price7Official · county

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 worker51%strong on work, weak on safety · range 36–66%
Skilled employee54%strong on work, weak on safety · range 42–66%
Student28%strong on legal route, weak on work · range 16–40%
Family41%strong on family, weak on cost · range 29–53%
Retirement54%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 39–69%

Work and income

Unemployment across cities in United KingdomUnemployment in Nelson is 3.3%. Of 999 cities with data, 652 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median gross salary (regional)2,908 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Office for National Statistics (ONS)5Official · regional context
Unemployment rate3.3 %31 Dec 2023Office for National Statistics (ONS)6Official · regional context

What does a salary buy in Nelson?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

regional median gross pay: €2,908 (Office for National Statistics (ONS), 2024-12-31).
Left over each month€1,528of €2,438 take-home
  • Rent
  • Internet
  • Mobile
  • Left over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
Each month€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.€2,438
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, Table 1, Rental price · 2026-08-31− €873
Internet€24 · official · BT Full Fibre 150 · 2026-09-30− €24
Mobile plan€13 · official · Three 100GB one-month data pack · 2026-09-30− €13
Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities—
Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish€1,528
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Nelson Salary needed to live in Nelson

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

Jobcentre Plus — Public employment service

Department for Work and Pensions

Job SearchUnemployment Claim
Open official service
Open the United Kingdom service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Nelson. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
Primary schools2 count3 Aug 2026Welsh Government (My Local School)14Official
Schools2 count3 Aug 2026Welsh Government (My Local School)14Official

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 5 to 16, and public school is free.

A country-wide rule for United Kingdom; Nelson's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: legislation.gov.uk · 1996–2026.

Safety

How safe is Nelson?

Police recorded about 8,534 incidents per 100,000 (2025-26). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Police force area tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C4 or P3)10

Recorded crime across major citiesNelson highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Nelson highlighted

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Manchester14,267
Bristol13,099
Liverpool12,409
Leeds11,462
Birmingham11,416
Leicester11,001
Sheffield9,693
Cardiff9,379
Belfast9,156
Coventry8,836
Glasgow757
Edinburgh549
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents8,534 incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2025Police force area tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C4 or P3)10Official · county

Mobility and administration

Nelson's nearest airport was CWL, 29 km away and offered 20 direct destinations.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport20 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights8Official
Distance to the nearest major airport29 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports9Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)CWL3 Aug 2026OurAirports9Official

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Nelson?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 5.5 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: 5.48 µg/m³ · uk-air.defra.gov.uk13
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

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

PM2.5 across cities in United KingdomAnnual PM2.5 in Nelson is 5.5 µg/m³. Of 941 cities with data, 487 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean5.48 µg/m³31 Dec 2024uk-air.defra.gov.uk13Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context

Population and city profile

How many people live in Nelson?

The published population was 33,805 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics4

MetricValuePeriodSource
Population33,805 people31 Dec 2021Office for National Statistics4Official

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Universities0 count3 Aug 2026Medr (Wales)3Official

Alternatives for people set on Nelson

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Hereford as a Nelson alternative in the same region

59 km away, better on 2 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 5,035 Hereford vs 8,534 Nelson−41%
  • Residents: 60,480 Hereford vs 33,805 Nelson+79%
  • Unemployment: 3.0% Hereford vs 3.3% Nelson−9%
  • Annual PM2.5: 5.4 µg/m³ Hereford vs 5.5 µg/m³ Nelsonsame level
  • Median gross pay, region: €2,881 Hereford vs €2,908 Nelsonsame level
Full comparisonMore about Hereford

Cities near Nelson

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Cardiff Commuting Zone · 20.1 km away
Salary
3,718 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2025-12-31

Alternative cities in United Kingdom

Other cities in United Kingdom to compare with Nelson, nearest in population first.

All United Kingdom cities
Nelson33,805 residentsRustington33,885 residentsBillingham33,920 residentsLetchworth Garden City33,990 residentsBillericay34,075 residentsIrvine34,130 residents

How does Nelson compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Nelson's.

Open the full comparison

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Nelson under the national coverage rules.

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.

Is Nelson part of Cardiff?

Nelson is in the published commuting zone of Cardiff; this does not mean it is administratively part of the hub. Cardiff city profile

Relationship type: Commuting Zone Of. Source12

Put Nelson's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

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 33,805 people in 2021. Source: Office for National Statistics.

Is the air quality good in Nelson?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 5.5 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: uk-air.defra.gov.uk.

How safe is Nelson?

Police recorded about 8,534 incidents per 100,000 (2025-26). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Police force area tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C4 or P3).

What is the typical salary around Nelson?

The median gross salary is 2,908 EUR/month. Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS).

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.

Is Nelson part of Cardiff?

Nelson is in the published commuting zone of Cardiff; this does not mean it is administratively part of the hub.

Which cities are near Nelson?

Cardiff, Gelligaer, Hengoed, Bargoed, Abertridwr are near Nelson. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

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, October 16). Nelson (Wales), United Kingdom: population, rent, salary [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 35d1b2e2af774bd4ab68aa6f51fcbb2d]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/nelson-wls-x4/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_nelson-wales-united-kingdom-population-rent-salary_7c3bb729435d,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Nelson (Wales), United Kingdom: population, rent, salary},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {35d1b2e2af774bd4ab68aa6f51fcbb2d},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/nelson-wls-x4/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Nelson (Wales), United Kingdom: population, rent, salary](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/uk/nelson-wls-x4/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 35d1b2e2af774bd4ab68aa6f51fcbb2d; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

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. Annual survey of hours and earnings - workplace analysis, NOMIS table NM_99_1 (ONS) nomisweb.co.uk · checked 2026-09-18
  2. BT Full Fibre 150 bt.com · checked 2026-09-15
  3. Medr (Wales) medr.cymru · checked 2026-08-03
  4. Office for National Statistics ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-04
  5. Office for National Statistics (ONS) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-06
  6. Office for National Statistics (ONS) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-06
  7. ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, Table 1, Rental price ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-24
  8. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  9. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  10. Police force area tables, year ending March 2026 (Table C4 or P3) ons.gov.uk · checked 2026-09-24
Show 13 more sources
  1. Three 100GB one-month data pack three.co.uk · checked 2026-09-15
  2. Travel to Work Areas (December 2011) full extent boundaries in the United Kingdom services1.arcgis.com · checked 2026-09-19
  3. uk-air.defra.gov.uk uk-air.defra.gov.uk · checked 2026-08-26
  4. Welsh Government (My Local School) mylocalschool.gov.wales · checked 2026-08-03
  5. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  6. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  7. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  8. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  9. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  10. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  11. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  12. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  13. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06

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