Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, photographer not specified or unknown · Public domainLiving in Big Bay, MI: what to set up and who to call
Big Bay has no town government of its own, so Marquette County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Powell Township Schools. The nearest emergency room is Bell Hospital, 21.8 miles away.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Big Bay, 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 Big Bay.
Power comes from Upper Michigan Energy Resources
Upper Michigan Energy Resources (Upper Michigan Energy Resources Corp.), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Big Bay. Its homes paid an average of 17.5¢ per kWh in 2025, about $101 a month (its average across Michigan).
Start or move service: www.uppco.com · (800) 562-7680
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Powell Township water system
The Powell Township water system supplies Big Bay: about 27% of residents live in its service area. About 73% 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 300 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 77% of the 15,074 systems serving 101–500 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 (EPA’s estimate). Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. MI0000700.
3 home internet providers serve Big Bay
88% of 348 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 88% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highline Internet | Fiber | 88% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Board of Trustees, Northern Michigan University | Fixed wireless | 52% | 25/5 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 3% | 300/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Big Bay’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Big Bay.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Big Bay is in Powell Township Schools.
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
Big Bay is unincorporated, so Marquette County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Nov 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Big Bay spans 2 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Big Bay residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Big Bay | ZIP’s residents in Big Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 49808 | Big Bay, MI | 88% | 65% |
| 49855 | Marquette, MI | 12% | 0% |
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 Big Bay
Who supplies Big Bay’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Powell Township water system (EPA ID MI0000700). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 77% of systems its size had none.
Who provides electricity in Big Bay?
Upper Michigan Energy Resources (Upper Michigan Energy Resources Corp.), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 17.5¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Big Bay?
Highline Internet, Board of Trustees, Northern Michigan University, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Big Bay?
49808 (88%), 49855 (12%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Big Bay in?
Powell Township Schools.
How do I register to vote in Big Bay?
In Michigan 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 Powell Township Clerk. Check your registration at mvic.sos.state.mi.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 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.