Editing Nelson Township, Michigan

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Nelson Township, Michigan
| settlement_type    = [[Civil township]]
| image_skyline      = 
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = 
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = 
| nickname           = 
| motto              = <!-- Location -->
| pushpin_map        = Michigan#USA
| pushpin_label_position = right<!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
| pushpin_label      = Nelson Township
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within the state of Michigan##Location within the United States
| pushpin_mapsize    = 
| image_map          = Nelson Township, MI location.png
| mapsize            = 250
| map_caption        = Location within [[Kent County, Michigan|Kent County]] (red) and the administered village of [[Sand Lake, Michigan|Sand Lake]] (pink)
| coordinates        = {{coord|43|16|14|N|85|30|18|W|region:US-MI|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Michigan|County]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Michigan]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Kent County, Michigan|Kent]]

<!-- Government -->| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = Supervisor
| leader_name        = Robyn Britton
| leader_title1      = [[Municipal clerk|Clerk]]
| leader_name1       = 
| established_title  = Settled
| established_date   = 1851
| established_title1 = Established
| established_date1  = 1854

<!-- Area -->| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = 
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 93.14
| area_total_sq_mi   = 35.96
| area_land_km2      = 91.19
| area_land_sq_mi    = 35.21
| area_water_km2     = 1.94
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.75

<!-- Population -->| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m        = 276
| elevation_ft       = 906
| population_total   = 4895
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_density_km2 = 
| population_density_sq_mi = auto

<!-- General information -->| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP Code|ZIP code(s)]]
| postal_code        = 49319 ([[Cedar Springs, Michigan|Cedar Springs]])<br>49343 ([[Sand Lake, Michigan|Sand Lake]])
| area_code          = [[Area code 616|616]]
| website            = {{URL|http://www.nelsontownship.org/|Official website}}
| footnotes          = 
| timezone           = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset         = -5
| timezone_DST       = EDT
| utc_offset_DST     = -4
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 26-081-56920<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 1626792<ref>{{gnis|1626792}}</ref>
}}
'''Nelson Township''' is a [[civil township]] of [[Kent County, Michigan|Kent County]] in the U.S. state of [[Michigan]]. The population was 4,895 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Nelson_township,_Kent_County,_Michigan?g=060XX00US2608156920 |access-date=2024-04-21 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref> which was up from 4,774 at the [[2000 United States census|2010 census]].<ref name=CENS>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/cph-2-24.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200916154921/https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/cph-2-24.pdf |archivedate=2020-09-16|url-status=dead|format=PDF |title=Michigan: 2010 Population and Housing Unit Counts 2010 Census of Population and Housing | date = September 2012|publisher = [[United States Census Bureau]]| work = [[2010 United States census]]| accessdate = January 11, 2022|page=28 Michigan}}</ref>

It is part of the [[Grand Rapids metropolitan area]] and is located about {{convert|20|mi|km}} northeast of the city of [[Grand Rapids, Michigan|Grand Rapids]].  The village of [[Sand Lake, Michigan|Sand Lake]] is located within Nelson Township.

==History==
The area was first settled in 1851 by William Bailey.  The township itself was organized in 1854 and received its first post office on November 26, 1856.<ref>{{cite book |first1=Walter |last1=Romig |title=Michigan Place Names: The History of the Founding and the Naming of More Than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities |series=Great Lakes Books Series |type=Paperback  |orig-date= 1973 |date=October 1, 1986 |publisher=[[Wayne State University Press]] |isbn = 978-0-8143-1838-6 |location=Detroit, Michigan| page=390}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], the township has a total area of {{convert|35.96|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|35.21|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.75|sqmi|sqkm|2}} (2.09%) is water.<ref name=CENS/>

===Major highways===
* {{jct|state=MI|US|131}} / {{jct|state=MI|MI|46}} is a dual-signed highway that runs north through the northwest corner of the township.

==Demographics==
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2010, there were 4,764 people, 1,427 households, and 1,117 families residing in the township.  The population density was {{convert|116.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 1,499 housing units at an average density of {{convert|41.6|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the township was 97.54% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.36% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.31% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.26% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.60% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.93% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.67% of the population.

There were 1,427 households, out of which 42.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.2% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.7% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.28.

In the township the population was spread out, with 31.8% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 7.7% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.5 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.3 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $50,521, and the median income for a family was $54,375. Males had a median income of $36,974 versus $25,897 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the township was $18,861.  About 8.1% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
Nelson Township is served by two separate school districts.  The majority of the township is served by [[Cedar Springs Public Schools]].  A smaller northern portion, including the village of Sand Lake, is served by [[Tri County Area Schools]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Michigan Geographic Framework|url=http://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/mgdl/pdfmaps/CountySchools/SD_BYCO_esize_KENT%20COUNTY.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140820075914/http://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/mgdl/pdfmaps/CountySchools/SD_BYCO_esize_KENT%20COUNTY.pdf |archive-date=2014-08-20 |url-status=live|title=Kent County School Districts|date=15 November 2013|accessdate=January 2, 2022}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.nelsontownship.org/ Nelson Township official website]

{{Cities of Kent County, Michigan}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Townships in Michigan]]
[[Category:Townships in Kent County, Michigan]]
[[Category:Grand Rapids metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1854]]
[[Category:1854 establishments in Michigan]]