Photo: Jef Poskanzer · CC BY 2.0Living in Mendocino, CA: what to set up and who to call
The latest lead test reported by Hills Ranch Mutual Water Company, which supplies Mendocino, came in at 16.0 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), above the 15 ppb action level. Mendocino has no town government of its own, so Mendocino County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Mendocino Unified School District.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Mendocino, 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 Mendocino.
Power comes from PG&E
PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric Co.), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Mendocino. Its homes paid an average of 37.5¢ per kWh in 2025, about $174 a month (its average across California, for customers on its standard service). California lets you buy power from another supplier; 66% of PG&E’s home customers do, and PG&E still delivers it.
Start or move service: pgecorp.com
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Hills Ranch Mutual Water Company
Hills Ranch Mutual Water Company supplies Mendocino: about 21% of residents live in its service area. Big River Vista Mutual Water Company serves another 6%. Point of View Mutual Water Co serves another 6%. About 67% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws ground water and serves 79 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 latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2023–Dec 2025, was 16.0 ppb, above the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 98% of similar systems’ latest results.
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. CA2300832.
3 home internet providers serve Mendocino
96% of 597 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 0% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Further Reach | Fixed wireless, DSL | 99% | 200/200 |
| Xfinity | Cable | 95% | 1,200/35 |
| AT&T | DSL, Fixed wireless | 77% | 25/3 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Mendocino’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Mendocino.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Mendocino is in Mendocino Unified School 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
Mendocino is unincorporated, so Mendocino County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jul 2021; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Mendocino is in ZIP code 95460
ZIP codes where Mendocino residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Mendocino | ZIP’s residents in Mendocino |
|---|---|---|---|
| 95460 | Mendocino, CA | 100% | 39% |
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 Mendocino
Who supplies Mendocino’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Hills Ranch Mutual Water Company (EPA ID CA2300832). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 16.0 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Mendocino?
PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric Co.), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 37.5¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Mendocino?
Further Reach, Xfinity, AT&T (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Mendocino?
95460. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Mendocino in?
Mendocino Unified School District.
How do I register to vote in Mendocino?
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 Mendocino County Clerk-Elections. 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.