Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0Living in Paynesville, MN: what to set up and who to call
Tap water in Paynesville comes from the Paynesville 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. Mediacom Xtream and Broadband wire most of Paynesville, and 98% of addresses can get fiber.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Paynesville, 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 Paynesville.
Power comes from Xcel Energy
Xcel Energy (Northern States Power Co. (Minnesota)), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Paynesville. 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 Paynesville water system
The Paynesville water system supplies almost all of Paynesville. It draws ground water and serves 2,575 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 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. MN1730018.
9 home internet providers serve Paynesville
100% of 1,028 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 98% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mediacom Xtream | Cable | 98% | 1,000/50 |
| Broadband | Fiber | 97% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Windstream Lakedale | DSL | 93% | 200/20 |
| Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association | Fixed wireless, Fiber | 87% | 1,000/1,000 |
| ARVIG | Fiber | 2% | 1,000/500 |
| GigFire | Fixed wireless | 100% | 150/130 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Paynesville’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Paynesville.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Paynesville is in Paynesville Public School District.
C+School 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.
Paynesville is in ZIP code 56362
ZIP codes where Paynesville residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Paynesville | ZIP’s residents in Paynesville |
|---|---|---|---|
| 56362 | Paynesville, MN | 100% | 41% |
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 Paynesville
Who supplies Paynesville’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Paynesville water system (EPA ID MN1730018). 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 Paynesville?
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 Paynesville?
Mediacom Xtream, Broadband, Windstream Lakedale, Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association, ARVIG, GigFire (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Paynesville?
56362. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Paynesville in?
Paynesville Public School District.
How do I register to vote in Paynesville?
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 Stearns County Service 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.