---
entity_id: city:nz:geonames:2186280
entity_type: city
name: Nelson
country_code: NZ
country: New Zealand
slug: nelson
canonical_url: https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/nelson/
json_url: https://immigrationdb.com/data/cities/nz/nelson.json
markdown_url: https://immigrationdb.com/data/cities/nz/nelson.md
mcp_uri: immigrationdb://city/nz/nelson
snapshot_id: approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0
generated_at: 2026-09-12
last_verified: 2026-09-06
fact_count: 12
language_location_count: 1
employment_location_count: 0
city_intent_block_count: 1
usefulness_tier: answer_linked
indexable: true
metric_dictionary_url: https://immigrationdb.com/data/metrics.json
license_url: https://immigrationdb.com/about/copyright/
citation_schema: immigrationdb-citation-v1
citation_canonical_url: https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/nelson/
citation_title: "Nelson, New Zealand: jobs, climate"
citation_author: ImmigrationDB
citation_publisher: ImmigrationDB
citation_snapshot_id: approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0
citation_version: approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0
citation_retrieval_date: 2026-09-12
citation_build_date: 2026-09-12
citation_license_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
---

# Nelson

Nelson is one of the cities recorded in New Zealand. Residents of Nelson numbered 54,300 at the end of 2025. The unemployment rate was 3.4% at the end of 2023. Nelson was home to 13,860 foreign residents at the end of 2023.

## Mobility

Nelson's nearest airport was NSN, 6 km away and offered 4 direct destinations.

## Population

Nelson covered an area of 422.2 km² at the end of 2023. At the end of 2024, the population density reached 129.1 people per km².

## Climate

Nelson's monthly mean temperatures were 15.8°C in January and 4.6°C in July.

## Immigration

Foreign residents comprised 26.4% of the population at the end of 2023.

## Facts

| Metric | metric_id | Value | Scope | Observed | Verified | Freshness | Lane | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Foreign residents | `foreign_population_total` | 13,860 people | city | 2023-12-31 | 2026-08-03 | stale | verified | [1] |
| Population | `population_total` | 54,300 people | city | 2025-12-31 | 2026-08-03 | aging | verified | [1] |
| Unemployment rate | `unemployment_total_percent` | 3.4 % | city | 2023-12-31 | 2026-08-03 | stale | verified | [1] |
| Climate Monthly Extreme High C | `climate_monthly_extreme_high_c` | Jan 32.11 · Feb 33.71 · Mar 27.99 · Apr 21.85 · May 20.05 · Jun 15.67 · Jul 12.83 · Aug 15.67 · Sep 17.69 · Oct 21.15 · Nov 25.07 · Dec 27.67 °C | coordinate_grid | 2001-12-31 | 2026-08-05 | stale | verified | [2] |
| Climate Monthly Extreme Low C | `climate_monthly_extreme_low_c` | Jan 3.58 · Feb 4.53 · Mar 2.78 · Apr 0.07 · May -2.2 · Jun -4.95 · Jul -4.73 · Aug -4.48 · Sep -2.46 · Oct -2.75 · Nov -0.64 · Dec 0.36 °C | coordinate_grid | 2001-12-31 | 2026-08-05 | stale | verified | [2] |
| Average temperature by month | `climate_monthly_mean_c` | Jan 15.8 · Feb 15.95 · Mar 13.91 · Apr 10.72 · May 8.04 · Jun 5.62 · Jul 4.6 · Aug 5.66 · Sep 7.3 · Oct 9.05 · Nov 11.36 · Dec 13.88 °C | coordinate_grid | 2001-12-31 | 2026-08-05 | stale | verified | [2] |
| City area | `city_area_km2` | 422.2 km² | city | 2023-12-31 | 2026-08-03 | stale | verified | [3] |
| Foreign-resident share | `foreign_population_share_percent` | 26.4 % | city | 2023-12-31 | 2026-08-03 | stale | verified | [1] |
| Population density | `population_density_per_km2` | 129.1 people/km² | city | 2024-12-31 | 2026-08-03 | stale | verified | [1] |
| Airport Direct Destinations Count | `airport_direct_destinations_count` | 4 count | city | 2026-08-03 | 2026-08-03 | fresh | verified | [4] |
| Nearest Major Airport Distance Km | `nearest_major_airport_distance_km` | 6 km | city | 2026-08-03 | 2026-08-03 | fresh | verified | [5] |
| Nearest Major Airport Iata | `nearest_major_airport_iata` | NSN | city | 2026-08-03 | 2026-08-03 | fresh | verified | [5] |

Every row keeps the value, unit, geographic scope, observation date, verification date and the numbered source below. A missing metric means the city does not publish it; nothing is imputed.

## Language courses and integration

- [Nelson](https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/our-strategies-and-programmes/supporting-refugees-and-asylum-seekers/welcoming-communities/immigration-new-zealand-leads-welcoming-communities/) · checked 2026-08-10

Only exact city-linked records are listed; this is not a complete directory of every language school in the city. Provider-supplied records stay separate from government-verified services.

## Public employment service

- [Work and Income employment service](https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/) — Job Search

This is a country-level service, not proof of a physical office in this city.

## Healthcare access

Migrants can receive medical care in Nelson when the country-wide insurance or residence conditions are met. City capacity facts do not determine personal eligibility.

- Public healthcare access for foreign residents: Conditional — [official source](https://www.healthnz.govt.nz/hospitals-services/eligibility-subsidies/publicly-funded-healthcare)

## Country-wide rules

Visa, benefit, tax and healthcare eligibility rules are published on the [New Zealand country page](https://immigrationdb.com/countries/new-zealand/).

## International community

Citizenship, country of birth, language and ancestry are kept as separate source-native dimensions.

### Country of birth

- Australia: 1,089 (2.2%)
- Pacific Islands: 612 (1.3%)
- United Kingdom and Ireland: 4,149 (8.5%)
- Europe (excl United Kingdom and Ireland): 1,503 (3.1%)
- North America: 891 (1.8%)
- Asia: 3,381 (6.9%)
- Middle East and Africa: 990 (2.0%)
- Other: 435 (0.9%)
- Population universe: Census usually resident population count for the 2023 Census place-summary geography
- Period: 2023 Census
- Source: https://tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz/api/export-zip/5001

### Ancestry or ethnicity

- European nfd: 255 (0.5%)
- New Zealand European: 37,848 (76.9%)
- Other European: 4,179 (8.5%)
- Māori: 5,985 (12.2%)
- Pacific Peoples nfd: 12 (0.0%)
- Samoan: 618 (1.3%)
- Cook Islands Maori: 231 (0.5%)
- Tongan: 348 (0.7%)
- Niuean: 93 (0.2%)
- Tokelauan: 18 (0.0%)
- Fijian: 171 (0.3%)
- Other Pacific Peoples: 84 (0.2%)
- Asian nfd: 150 (0.3%)
- Southeast Asian: 1,887 (3.8%)
- Chinese: 495 (1.0%)
- Indian: 1,026 (2.1%)
- Other Asian: 927 (1.9%)
- Middle Eastern: 129 (0.3%)
- Latin American: 489 (1.0%)
- African: 99 (0.2%)
- Other Ethnicity: 663 (1.3%)
- Population universe: Census usually resident population count for the 2023 Census place-summary geography
- Period: 2023 Census
- Source: https://tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz/api/export-zip/5001

### Ancestry or ethnicity

- European: 41,385 (84.1%)
- Māori: 5,985 (12.2%)
- Pacific Peoples: 1,440 (2.9%)
- Asian: 4,443 (9.0%)
- Middle Eastern/Latin American/African: 696 (1.4%)
- Other Ethnicity: 663 (1.3%)
- Population universe: Census usually resident population count for the 2023 Census place-summary geography
- Period: 2023 Census
- Source: https://tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz/api/export-zip/5001

## Sources

1. Stats NZ — Official source — https://tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz/places/ta/nelson-city
2. NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center — Official source — https://power.larc.nasa.gov/api/temporal/climatology/point?parameters=T2M%2CT2M_MAX%2CT2M_MIN&community=SB&longitude=173.284040&latitude=-41.270780&format=JSON
3. Stats NZ — Official source — https://services2.arcgis.com/vKb0s8tBIA3bdocZ/arcgis/rest/services/Territorial_Authority_2023/FeatureServer/0/query?where=1%3D1&outFields=*&returnGeometry=false&f=json
4. OpenFlights — Official source — https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jpatokal/openflights/master/data/routes.dat
5. OurAirports — Official source — https://davidmegginson.github.io/ourairports-data/airports.csv

## Cite

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.

### APA

ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). Nelson, New Zealand: jobs, climate [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/nelson/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

### BibTeX

```bibtex
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_nelson-new-zealand-jobs-climate_c94601671f0a,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Nelson, New Zealand: jobs, climate},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/nelson/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
```

### Markdown

[Nelson, New Zealand: jobs, climate](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/nelson/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

- Citation schema: `immigrationdb-citation-v1`
- Canonical URL: https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/nelson/
- Title: Nelson, New Zealand: jobs, climate
- Author: ImmigrationDB
- Publisher: ImmigrationDB
- Snapshot: `approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0`
- Version: `approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0`
- Retrieved: 2026-09-12
- Built: 2026-09-12
- Compilation license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

## Data

- HTML: https://immigrationdb.com/cities/nz/nelson/
- JSON: https://immigrationdb.com/data/cities/nz/nelson.json
- Markdown: https://immigrationdb.com/data/cities/nz/nelson.md
- MCP resource: immigrationdb://city/nz/nelson
- Metric dictionary: https://immigrationdb.com/data/metrics.json
- City shard index: https://immigrationdb.com/data/cities/index.json
- Release catalog: https://immigrationdb.com/data/catalog.json