Photo: David Morris · CC BY 2.0Living in Emmetsburg, IA: what to set up and who to call
All of Emmetsburg gets its mail under one ZIP code, 50536. Emmetsburg Public Library, 0.9 miles away, is the closest library to Emmetsburg.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Emmetsburg, 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 Emmetsburg.
Power comes from MidAmerican Energy
MidAmerican Energy (MidAmerican Energy Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Emmetsburg. Its homes paid an average of 11.2¢ per kWh in 2025, about $93 a month (its average across Iowa).
Start or move service: midamericanenergy.com · (888) 427-5632
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Emmetsburg Municipal Water Department
Emmetsburg Municipal Water Department supplies Emmetsburg: about 95% of residents live in its service area. About 5% 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 3,733 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 2022–Dec 2024, was 1.1 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 2.9 ppb. That’s higher than 52% 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 (EPA’s estimate). Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. IA7428021.
8 home internet providers serve Emmetsburg
100% of 1,728 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 65% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mediacom Xtream | Cable, Fiber | 98% | 1,000/50 |
| Kinetic | Fiber, DSL | 83% | 2,000/2,000 |
| Northwest Communications | Fixed wireless | 97% | 500/50 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 88% | 300/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 86% | 100/20 |
| GigFire | Fixed wireless | 76% | 150/130 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Trash and recycling in Emmetsburg
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Emmetsburg, from the town’s own site.
We couldn’t find pickup days or drop-off hours. Check emmetsburg.com →
From emmetsburg.com, the town’s official site, checked Oct 21, 2026; pages dated 2025-06-26, 2025-12-12. Rules change: the town’s page is the last word. .
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Emmetsburg is in Emmetsburg Community School District.
B+School gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Oct 2021; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Emmetsburg is in ZIP code 50536
ZIP codes where Emmetsburg residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Emmetsburg | ZIP’s residents in Emmetsburg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50536 | Emmetsburg, IA | 100% | 85% |
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 Emmetsburg
Who supplies Emmetsburg’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Emmetsburg Municipal Water Department (EPA ID IA7428021). 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 1.1 ppb (Jan 2022–Dec 2024), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Emmetsburg?
MidAmerican Energy (MidAmerican Energy Co), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 11.2¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Emmetsburg?
Mediacom Xtream, Kinetic, Northwest Communications, Verizon, T-Mobile, GigFire (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Emmetsburg?
50536. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Emmetsburg in?
Emmetsburg Community School District.
How do I register to vote in Emmetsburg?
In Iowa 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 Palo Alto County Auditor. Check your registration at sos.iowa.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: Emmetsburg’s own website (emmetsburg.com), read Oct 21, 2026, pickup and drop-off facts extracted and checked against the page they came from.
- 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.