Photo: Ian Howard · CC BY 2.5Living in Boston, MA: what to set up and who to call
An EPA health-based violation from 2020 is still open for Boston Water and Sewer Commission (Mwra). Boston runs its own elections, so the Boston Election Commission, not a county office, keeps the voter rolls.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Boston, 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 Boston.
Power comes from Eversource
Eversource (NSTAR Electric Co., doing business as Eversource), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Boston. Its homes paid an average of 21.5¢ per kWh in 2025, about $102 a month (its average across Massachusetts, for customers on its standard service). Massachusetts lets you buy power from another supplier; 76% of Eversource’s home customers do, and Eversource still delivers it.
Start or move service: nstar.com · (800) 592-2000
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Boston Water and Sewer Commission (Mwra)
Boston Water and Sewer Commission (Mwra) supplies almost all of Boston. It buys treated surface water (EPA lists Mwra as seller) and serves 675,647 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 93% of the 42 systems serving 500,001–1,000,000 people. 1 older violation is still open, since 2020: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule), per EPA’s records.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan–Jun 2026, was 5.8 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 99.5 ppb. That’s higher than 90% 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. MA3035000.
7 home internet providers serve Boston
100% of 83,843 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 76% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Cable, Fiber | 100% | 2,000/250 |
| Verizon | Fiber, Fixed wireless | 95% | 2,300/2,300 |
| Astound Broadband | Cable, Fiber | 55% | 1,500/50 |
| Starry | Fixed wireless, Fiber | 13% | 300/100 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 59% | 100/20 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 51% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
The nearest public drop-off is 3 miles away
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Boston.
City of Cambridge Recycling Center
· run by City of Cambridge
This isn’t Boston’s own facility. Whether Boston residents may use it is the town’s rule: check boston.gov.
OpenStreetMap, as of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Boston is in Boston 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.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jun 2023; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Boston spans 23 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Boston residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Boston | ZIP’s residents in Boston |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02124 | Dorchester Center, MA | 8% | 100% |
| 02135 | Brighton, MA | 7% | 100% |
| 02128 | Boston, MA | 6% | 100% |
| 02130 | Jamaica Plain, MA | 6% | 100% |
| 02127 | Boston, MA | 6% | 100% |
| 02136 | Hyde Park, MA | 5% | 100% |
| 02125 | Dorchester, MA | 5% | 100% |
| 02115 | Boston, MA | 5% | 100% |
| 02131 | Roslindale, MA | 5% | 100% |
| 02119 | Roxbury, MA | 4% | 100% |
| 02118 | Boston, MA | 4% | 100% |
| 02121 | Dorchester, MA | 4% | 100% |
| 02132 | West Roxbury, MA | 4% | 100% |
| 02215 | Boston, MA | 4% | 100% |
| 02122 | Dorchester, MA | 4% | 100% |
| 02116 | Boston, MA | 3% | 100% |
| 02126 | Mattapan, MA | 3% | 100% |
| 02134 | Allston, MA | 3% | 100% |
| 02129 | Charlestown, MA | 3% | 100% |
| 02120 | Roxbury Crossing, MA | 3% | 100% |
| 02114 | Boston, MA | 2% | 100% |
| 02111 | Boston, MA | 1% | 100% |
| 02113 | Boston, MA | 1% | 100% |
A few homes fall in 02210, 02467, 02108, 02109, 02110, 02199, 02163, 02445, 02133, 02446, 02205. 02112, 02117, 02123, 02196, 02201, 02203, 02204, 02206, 02211, 02212, 02217, 02222, 02241, 02266, 02283, 02284, 02293, 02297, 02298 are P.O. box or single-organization ZIPs with no homes.
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.
Train: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Boston
Who supplies Boston’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Boston Water and Sewer Commission (Mwra) (EPA ID MA3035000). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 93% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 5.8 ppb (Jan–Jun 2026), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Boston?
Eversource (NSTAR Electric Co., doing business as Eversource), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 21.5¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Boston?
Xfinity, Verizon, Astound Broadband, Starry, T-Mobile, AT&T (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Boston?
02124 (8%), 02135 (7%), 02128 (6%), 02130 (6%), 02127 (6%), 02136 (5%), 02125 (5%), 02115 (5%), 02131 (5%), 02119 (4%), 02118 (4%), 02121 (4%), 02132 (4%), 02215 (4%), 02122 (4%), 02116 (3%), 02126 (3%), 02134 (3%), 02129 (3%), 02120 (3%), 02114 (2%), 02111 (1%), 02113 (1%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Boston in?
Boston School District.
How do I register to vote in Boston?
In Massachusetts you can register online until 10 days before Election Day, in person until 10 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 10 days before). Elections here are run by the Boston Election Commission. Check your registration at sec.state.ma.us.
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.