It lies to the southwest of Nelson city centre, between it and Bishopdale, close to the foot of The Grampians.

[4] The Rutherford statistical area, which corresponds to the northern part of Nelson South, covers 1.21 km2 (0.47 sq mi).

The percentage of people born overseas was 32.1, compared with 27.1% nationally.

[5] Nelson College is state secondary school for Year 9 to 13 boys,[6][7] with a roll of 907 as of November 2024.

[8] Nelson College Preparatory School is a private preparatory school for Year 7 to 8 boys, located on the Nelson College Campus.