Bartlett Dam · Photo: Andy Pernick, a Bureau of Reclamation photographer · Public domainLiving in Rio Verde, AZ: what to set up and who to call
Rio Verde has no town government of its own, so Maricopa County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Cave Creek Unified District. Tap water in Rio Verde comes from the Epcor- Rio Verde water system, which has a clean five-year EPA record (about 20% of systems its size had a health-based violation) and a latest lead result below detection.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Rio Verde, 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 Rio Verde.
Power comes from Salt River Project
Salt River Project (Salt River Project), a political subdivision utility, serves all of Rio Verde. Its homes paid an average of 14.0¢ per kWh in 2025, about $160 a month (its average across Arizona).
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Epcor- Rio Verde water system
The Epcor- Rio Verde water system supplies almost all of Rio Verde. It draws ground water and serves 5,330 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 80% of the 5,012 systems serving 3,301–10,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2021–Dec 2023, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. Results below detection are reported as 0, so 0 doesn’t mean no lead at any tap.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. AZ0407121.
3 home internet providers serve Rio Verde
99% of 1,636 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 1% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cox Communications | Cable, Fiber | 99% | 2,000/100 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 99% | 300/20 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 10% | 25/3 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Rio Verde’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Rio Verde.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Rio Verde is in Cave Creek Unified District.
A−School gradeSee 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
Rio Verde is unincorporated, so Maricopa 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.
Rio Verde is in ZIP code 85263
ZIP codes where Rio Verde residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Rio Verde | ZIP’s residents in Rio Verde |
|---|---|---|---|
| 85263 | Rio Verde, AZ | 100% | 65% |
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 Rio Verde
Who supplies Rio Verde’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Epcor- Rio Verde water system (EPA ID AZ0407121). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 80% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2021–Dec 2023), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Rio Verde?
Salt River Project (Salt River Project), a political subdivision utility. Its homes paid about 14.0¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Rio Verde?
Cox Communications, Verizon, AT&T (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Rio Verde?
85263. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Rio Verde in?
Cave Creek Unified District.
How do I register to vote in Rio Verde?
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 Maricopa County Recorder. Check your registration at my.arizona.vote.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- 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 National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.