Nelson is a village in Lee County, Illinois, home to about 125 people across 0.2 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 61021.
Homes sold for a median of $126 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Dixon; part is in Nelson
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Nelson. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Nelson’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)82 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD)31 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Madison, WI86 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL93 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Nelson; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Nelson had 127 residents in the 2020 census, down 22% since 2000.
It’s the 1308th largest of 1,450 towns in Illinois by population.
Lee County grew from 29,894 residents in 1900 to 34,145 in 2020.
Lee County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 83°F in summer, and winter lows average 14°F. About 40.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 31 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Dixon 1w, IL weather station (2 miles away).
10,894 jobs at 690 businesses in Lee County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
456 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Nelson.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 34 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 44 |
| Dentists | 16 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 37 |
| Mental health providers | 281 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 27 |
| Optometrists | 5 |
| Chiropractors | 12 |
| Pharmacies | 9 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (13 nearby)
Grocery stores
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (3 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 1 mile of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Dixon USD 170, Lee County Spec Educ Assoc. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Elem SchoolDixon | Pre-K–1 | 424 | Public | 0.8 mi |
| Jefferson Elem SchoolDixon | 2–3 | 344 | Public | 0.5 mi |
| Madison SchoolDixon | 4–5 | 323 | Public | 1.4 mi |
| Reagan Middle SchoolDixon | 6–8 | 585 | Public | 1.4 mi |
| Dixon High SchoolDixon | 9–12 | 760 | Public | 0.1 mi |
| Lee Cty SpEd-ECEDixon | — | — | Special Education | 0.8 mi |
| Lee Cty SpEd-Life Skills (2-5 GraDixon | — | — | Special Education | 1.4 mi |
| Lee Cty SpEd-Life Skills (6-8 GraDixon | — | — | Special Education | 1.4 mi |
| Lee Cty SpEd-Life Skills (9-12 GrDixon | — | — | Special Education | 0.1 mi |
| Lee Cty SpEd-TransitionsDixon | — | — | Special Education | 0.1 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Anne SchoolDixon | Pre-K–5 | 52 | Roman Catholic | 0.9 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Dixon, Amboy, Lost Nation and Grand Detour.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.