Living in Medford, MN: what to set up and who to call
Tap water in Medford comes from the Medford 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. Power in Medford comes from Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric, a cooperative utility rather than a private company.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Medford, 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 Medford.
Power comes from Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric
Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric (Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric), a cooperative utility, serves all of Medford. Its homes paid an average of 16.5¢ per kWh in 2025, about $161 a month (its average across Minnesota).
Start or move service: swce.coop · (507) 451-7340
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Medford water system
The Medford water system supplies almost all of Medford. It draws ground water and serves 1,200 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 latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2024–Dec 2026, 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. MN1740005.
8 home internet providers serve Medford
100% of 509 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metronet | Fiber | 100% | 5,120/5,120 |
| Midco | Cable, Fixed wireless | 100% | 1,250/250 |
| CenturyLink | DSL | 84% | 60/5 |
| GigFire | Fixed wireless | 93% | 150/130 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 92% | 100/20 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 86% | 25/3 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Medford’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Medford.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Medford is in Medford Public School District.
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 Jun 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Medford is in ZIP code 55049
ZIP codes where Medford residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Medford | ZIP’s residents in Medford |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55049 | Medford, MN | 100% | 50% |
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 Medford
Who supplies Medford’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Medford water system (EPA ID MN1740005). 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 2024–Dec 2026), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Medford?
Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric (Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 16.5¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Medford?
Metronet, Midco, CenturyLink, GigFire, T-Mobile, AT&T (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Medford?
55049. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Medford in?
Medford Public School District.
How do I register to vote in Medford?
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 Steele County Auditor. 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.