Clare Downtown Historic District · Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0Living in Clare, MI: what to set up and who to call
In Clare, trash day is Thursday. The City of Clare water system reported one health-based violation to EPA in the last five years: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule), beginning Jan 2026.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Clare, 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 Clare.
Power comes from DTE
DTE (DTE Electric Co.), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Clare. Its homes paid an average of 20.2¢ per kWh in 2025, about $126 a month (its average across Michigan, for customers on its standard service). Michigan lets you buy power from another supplier; 0% of DTE’s home customers do, and DTE still delivers it.
Start or move service: www.dteenergy.com · (800) 477-4747
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from City of Clare water system
The City of Clare water system supplies almost all of Clare. It draws ground water and serves 3,118 people in all.
1 health-based violation reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule), beginning Jan 2026. 78% of the 7,966 systems serving 1,001–3,300 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan–Dec 2023, was 1.4 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 60% 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. MI0001420.
7 home internet providers serve Clare
99% of 1,245 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 61% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | Cable, Fiber | 89% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Winn Telephone Company | Fiber | 63% | 1,000/1,000 |
| CMS Internet | Fiber, Fixed wireless | 13% | 1,000/1,000 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless, DSL | 9% | 100/20 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 81% | 300/20 |
| ISP Managemen | Fixed wireless | 79% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Trash day in Clare is Thursday
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Clare, from the town’s own site.
This month
- TrashEvery week
- Bulky itemsCall to book
Accepted at the curb
- Aluminum & metal containers
- Mixed paper, magazines, cardboard
- Glass containers of any color
- Empty aerosol cans
From cityofclare.gov, the town’s official site, checked Oct 21, 2026. 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.
Clare is in Clare Public Schools.
BSchool 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 Sep 2026; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Clare is in ZIP code 48617
ZIP codes where Clare residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Clare | ZIP’s residents in Clare |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48617 | Clare, MI | 100% | 37% |
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 Clare
Who supplies Clare’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The City of Clare water system (EPA ID MI0001420). It reported 1 health-based violation to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule). 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 1.4 ppb (Jan–Dec 2023), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Clare?
DTE (DTE Electric Co.), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 20.2¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Clare?
Spectrum, Winn Telephone Company, CMS Internet, AT&T, Verizon, ISP Managemen (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Clare?
48617. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Clare in?
Clare Public Schools.
How do I register to vote in Clare?
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 Clare City 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: Clare’s own website (cityofclare.gov), 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 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.