Living in Pilgrim, MI: what to set up and who to call
Pilgrim has no town government of its own, so Benzie County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Frankfort-Elberta Area Schools. Most of Pilgrim has one wired internet choice: Spectrum.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Pilgrim, 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 Pilgrim.
Power comes from DTE
DTE (DTE Electric Co.), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Pilgrim. 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 Frankfort water system
The City of Frankfort water system supplies Pilgrim: about 30% of residents live in its service area. About 70% 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 1,286 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 78% of the 7,966 systems serving 1,001–3,300 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. MI0002430.
2 home internet providers serve Pilgrim
99% of 185 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 1% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | Cable | 99% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Eclipse Communications | Fixed wireless | 100% | 50/50 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Pilgrim’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Pilgrim.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Pilgrim is in Frankfort-Elberta Area 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
Pilgrim is unincorporated, so Benzie 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.
Pilgrim is in ZIP code 49635
ZIP codes where Pilgrim residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Pilgrim | ZIP’s residents in Pilgrim |
|---|---|---|---|
| 49635 | Frankfort, MI | 100% | 1% |
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 Pilgrim
Who supplies Pilgrim’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The City of Frankfort water system (EPA ID MI0002430). 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 Pilgrim?
DTE (DTE Electric Co.), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 20.2¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Pilgrim?
Spectrum, Eclipse Communications (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Pilgrim?
49635. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Pilgrim in?
Frankfort-Elberta Area Schools.
How do I register to vote in Pilgrim?
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 Crystal Lake 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.