Ledges country in Portage County’s northeast corner
Nelson Township was organized in 1817, and its name most likely came from Nelson, New York. It’s the only Nelson Township in Ohio. The township covers about 25 square miles in the northeastern corner of Portage County, bordering Parkman, Troy, Farmington, Southington, Braceville, Windham and Hiram townships.
Nelson’s landscape is defined by its rock ledges. Nelson Kennedy Ledges State Park is a 167-acre park with rock formations 50 to 60 feet high and fissures about 60 feet deep, including the Devil’s Icebox, Indian Pass and Old Maid’s Kitchen. It’s reached from U.S. Route 422 and State Route 305 by way of State Route 282.
The township has two other well-known draws: Nelson Ledges Road Course, which hosts motorcycle and sports car racing, and Nelson Ledges Quarry Park, which has held music festivals since 1972.
One in five homes is a mobile home
Nelson’s housing is almost all owner-occupied, and a large share is manufactured housing. In the Census ACS:
- About 97% of homes are owner-occupied.
- About 78% are single-family detached, and about 21% are mobile homes.
- The median build year is 1983.
- The median home value (owner estimate) is about $170,500.
Selling a mobile home on its own land has its own paperwork. Some homes are titled like vehicles, while others have been converted and recorded as real estate with the land. A title that was never transferred after a death, or a title that’s simply lost, can hold up a sale. Our mobile home page covers the steps, and replacing a lost mobile home title explains how to get a replacement.
Rural lots: wells, septic and outbuildings
If your Nelson property runs on a well and septic system, a retail buyer’s lender or inspector may want both tested, even though Portage County has no countywide point-of-sale inspection on a 2025 title agency list. Older systems, or one that has failed, are a common reason to look at a cash offer. See selling a house with septic problems.
We look at the whole parcel: the house or mobile home, any garages or barns, and the land itself. The written offer shows how each was counted. If a well-kept house on acreage would bring more listed with an agent, we’ll tell you that.
Garrettsville next door, and Garfield schools
Most of the village of Garrettsville was formed from southwestern Nelson Township, and the two share a school district. Nelson children attend the James A. Garfield Local School District, whose territory takes in the village, eastern Hiram Township and all of Freedom and Nelson townships. The district has one elementary school, one middle school and James A. Garfield High School on State Route 88. Our Garrettsville page covers the village itself.
From our Akron office to Nelson
Nelson is about as far from our Akron office as Portage County gets, but Bob Donahue still drives out for every walkthrough. It takes 15 to 20 minutes, and you’ll have a written offer that explains the number. Closing is handled at a local title company on the date that suits you. If the property is part of an estate, the filing is at the probate court in Ravenna, explained on our Portage County page. To begin, send us the Nelson address.