Milson was part of the Papaioea Ward of Palmerston North City Council until 2013.

[5] In 1926, work began on the nearby Milson railway deviation which was to take the main trunk line out of the city centre.

Milson Primary School and a community centre were built to serve the workers and their families.

Before the 2023 census, Milson had a larger boundary, covering 14.14 km2 (5.46 sq mi).

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 48.7% had no religion, 38.6% were Christian, 0.9% had Māori religious beliefs, 2.0% were Hindu, 0.7% were Muslim, 0.8% were Buddhist and 1.3% had other religions.

[13] St Peter's College is a co-educational state-integrated Catholic school for Year 7 to 13 students,[14][15] with a roll of 750 as of November 2024.