Living in Bear Flat, AZ: what to set up and who to call
Bear Flat has no town government of its own, so Gila County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Payson Unified District. The ER is a drive from Bear Flat: the closest is Cobre Valley Regional Medical Center, 53.4 miles away.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Bear Flat, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Bear Flat.
Power comes from APS
APS (Arizona Public Service Co.), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Bear Flat. Its homes paid an average of 17.0¢ per kWh in 2025, about $165 a month (its average across Arizona).
Start or move service: aps.com
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Which providers serve Bear Flat
This card will list the home internet providers the FCC’s National Broadband Map shows in Bear Flat, the share of addresses that can get 100/20 Mbps and the share with fiber, with the map’s “as of” date.
Source to come: FCC Broadband Data Collection.
We don’t have Bear Flat’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Bear Flat.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Bear Flat is in Payson Unified District.
Test scores and every school: see Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
No town hall: the county runs things
Bear Flat is unincorporated, so Gila County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Sep 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Bear Flat is in ZIP code 85541
ZIP codes where Bear Flat residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Bear Flat | ZIP’s residents in Bear Flat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 85541 | Payson, AZ | 100% | 0% |
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Bear Flat
Who provides electricity in Bear Flat?
APS (Arizona Public Service Co.), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 17.0¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What ZIP codes are in Bear Flat?
85541. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Bear Flat in?
Payson Unified District.
How do I register to vote in Bear Flat?
In Arizona you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before). Elections here are run by the Gila County Recorder. Check your registration at my.arizona.vote.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet (FCC): pending.