Photo: Myotus · CC BY-SA 4.0Living in Cosmos, MN: what to set up and who to call
Tap water in Cosmos comes from the Cosmos water system, which has a clean five-year EPA record (about 22% of systems its size had a health-based violation) and a latest lead result below detection. The ER is a drive from Cosmos: the closest is Hutchinson Health, 15.1 miles away.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Cosmos, 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 Cosmos.
Power comes from Xcel Energy
Xcel Energy (Northern States Power Co. (Minnesota)), an investor-owned utility, serves 93.5% of Cosmos residents. Its homes paid an average of 17.1¢ per kWh in 2025, about $105 a month (its average across Minnesota).
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Cosmos water system
The Cosmos water system supplies almost all of Cosmos. It draws ground water and serves 513 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 78% of the 5,327 systems serving 501–1,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2021–Dec 2023, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. Results below detection are reported as 0, so 0 doesn’t mean no lead at any tap.
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. MN1470011.
7 home internet providers serve Cosmos
100% of 269 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 13% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mediacom Xtream | Cable, Fiber | 99% | 1,000/50 |
| Frontier | DSL | 71% | 115/7 |
| Midco | Fixed wireless | 100% | 100/20 |
| GigFire | Fixed wireless | 100% | 150/130 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 84% | 300/20 |
| Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association | Fixed wireless | 83% | 100/10 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Cosmos’ trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Cosmos.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Cosmos is in A.C.G.C. Public School District.
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.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Oct 2026; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Cosmos is in ZIP code 56228
ZIP codes where Cosmos residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Cosmos | ZIP’s residents in Cosmos |
|---|---|---|---|
| 56228 | Cosmos, MN | 100% | 60% |
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 Cosmos
Who supplies Cosmos’ drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Cosmos water system (EPA ID MN1470011). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2021–Dec 2023), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Cosmos?
Xcel Energy (Northern States Power Co. (Minnesota)), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 17.1¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Cosmos?
Mediacom Xtream, Frontier, Midco, GigFire, Verizon, Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Cosmos?
56228. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Cosmos in?
A.C.G.C. Public School District.
How do I register to vote in Cosmos?
In Minnesota you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 21 days before). Elections here are run by the Meeker County Courthouse. Check your registration at mnvotes.sos.state.mn.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.