Living in Hayward, MN: what to set up and who to call
The Hayward water system reported 8 health-based violations to EPA in the last five years: radioactivity (gross alpha, excluding radon and uranium) ×8. 77% of systems its size reported none. Power in Hayward comes from Freeborn Mower Electric Cooperative, a cooperative utility rather than a private company.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Hayward, 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 Hayward.
Power comes from Freeborn Mower Electric Cooperative
Freeborn Mower Electric Cooperative (Freeborn Mower Electric Cooperative), a cooperative utility, serves all of Hayward. Its homes paid an average of 15.3¢ per kWh in 2025, about $136 a month (its average across Minnesota).
Start or move service: fmcs.coop · (507) 373-6421
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Hayward water system
The Hayward water system supplies almost all of Hayward. It draws ground water and serves 254 people in all.
8 health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: radioactivity (gross alpha, excluding radon and uranium) ×8, the latest beginning Jan 2025. 77% of the 15,074 systems serving 101–500 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2024–Dec 2026, was 1.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 52% 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. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. MN1240012.
7 home internet providers serve Hayward
100% of 142 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 95% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| GigFire | Fixed wireless, Fiber | 100% | 1,000/1,000 |
| CenturyLink | DSL | 82% | 60/5 |
| Metronet | Fiber | 13% | 5,120/5,120 |
| Midco | Fixed wireless | 100% | 100/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 35% | 25/3 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 20% | 300/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Hayward’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Hayward.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Hayward is in Albert Lea 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 Sep 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Hayward is in ZIP code 56043
ZIP codes where Hayward residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Hayward | ZIP’s residents in Hayward |
|---|---|---|---|
| 56043 | Hayward, MN | 100% | 56% |
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 Hayward
Who supplies Hayward’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Hayward water system (EPA ID MN1240012). It reported 8 health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026: radioactivity (gross alpha, excluding radon and uranium) ×8. 77% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 1.0 ppb (Jan 2024–Dec 2026), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Hayward?
Freeborn Mower Electric Cooperative (Freeborn Mower Electric Cooperative), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 15.3¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Hayward?
GigFire, CenturyLink, Metronet, Midco, T-Mobile, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Hayward?
56043. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Hayward in?
Albert Lea Public School District.
How do I register to vote in Hayward?
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 Freeborn County Government Center. 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.