Living in Empire, CA: what to set up and who to call
Empire has no town government of its own, so Stanislaus County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Empire Union Elementary School District. Power in Empire comes from Modesto Irrigation District, a political subdivision utility rather than a private company.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Empire, 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 Empire.
Power comes from Modesto Irrigation District
Modesto Irrigation District (Modesto Irrigation District), a political subdivision utility, serves all of Empire. Its homes paid an average of 23.0¢ per kWh in 2025, about $173 a month (its average across California).
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Modesto Irrigation District
Modesto Irrigation District supplies Empire: about 50% of residents live in its service area. About 50% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws surface water and serves 23 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 78% of the 11,392 systems serving <=100 people.
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. CA5010038.
8 home internet providers serve Empire
100% of 1,292 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 0% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | Cable, Fiber | 97% | 1,000/1,000 |
| AT&T | DSL, Fixed wireless, Fiber | 61% | 100/20 |
| Cal.net | Fixed wireless | 100% | 100/20 |
| unWired Broadband | Fixed wireless | 100% | 400/50 |
| Ayera Technologies | Fixed wireless | 82% | 1,000/500 |
| ezWave | Fixed wireless | 82% | 1,000/200 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
The nearest public drop-off is 2 miles away
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Empire.
Gilton Resource Recovery/Transfer Facility, Inc.
800 South McClure Road, Modesto, CA, 95357 · run by Gilton Solid Waste Management
This isn’t Empire’s own facility. Whether Empire residents may use it is the town’s rule: check the town’s office.
OpenStreetMap, as of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Empire is in two districts that split the grades: Empire Union Elementary School District and Modesto City High School District.
C+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
Empire is unincorporated, so Stanislaus County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jul 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Empire spans 2 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Empire residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Empire | ZIP’s residents in Empire |
|---|---|---|---|
| 95357 | Modesto, CA | 52% | 17% |
| 95319 | Empire, CA | 48% | 95% |
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 Empire
Who supplies Empire’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Modesto Irrigation District (EPA ID CA5010038). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 78% of systems its size had none.
Who provides electricity in Empire?
Modesto Irrigation District (Modesto Irrigation District), a political subdivision utility. Its homes paid about 23.0¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Empire?
Spectrum, AT&T, Cal.net, unWired Broadband, Ayera Technologies, ezWave (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Empire?
95357 (52%), 95319 (48%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Empire in?
Empire Union Elementary School District and Modesto City High School District.
How do I register to vote in Empire?
In California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before). Elections here are run by the Stanislaus County Clerk, Registrar of Voters. Check your registration at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.
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 Nov 18, 2024 (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.