Living in Indian River, MI: what to set up and who to call
Indian River has no town government of its own, so Cheboygan County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Inland Lakes Schools. The nearest emergency room is Mclaren Northern Michigan, 17.3 miles away.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Indian River, 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 Indian River.
Power comes from DTE
DTE (DTE Electric Co.), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Indian River. 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 South Pointe I Apartments water system
The South Pointe I Apartments water system supplies Indian River: about 4% of residents live in its service area. About 94% 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 32 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 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. MI0006115.
6 home internet providers serve Indian River
94% of 1,820 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 22% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | Cable, Fiber | 91% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Presque Isle Connect | Fiber | 19% | 1,000/1,000 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless, DSL | 17% | 25/3 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 41% | 100/20 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 36% | 300/20 |
| Bug Tussel | Fixed wireless | 11% | 10/1 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Indian River’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Indian River.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Indian River is in Inland Lakes 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
Indian River is unincorporated, so Cheboygan 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.
Indian River is in ZIP code 49749
ZIP codes where Indian River residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Indian River | ZIP’s residents in Indian River |
|---|---|---|---|
| 49749 | Indian River, MI | 100% | 48% |
A few homes fall in 49706.
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 Indian River
Who supplies Indian River’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The South Pointe I Apartments water system (EPA ID MI0006115). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 78% of systems its size had none.
Who provides electricity in Indian River?
DTE (DTE Electric Co.), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 20.2¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Indian River?
Spectrum, Presque Isle Connect, AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Bug Tussel (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Indian River?
49749. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Indian River in?
Inland Lakes Schools.
How do I register to vote in Indian River?
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 Tuscarora 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.