Photo: cjohnson7 · CC BY 2.0Living in Rochester, MN: what to set up and who to call
Rochester runs its own electric utility, Rochester Public Utilities; its homes paid 18.6¢ per kWh in 2025. The Rochester water system has a clean five-year EPA record, but its latest lead result, 7.0 ppb, was higher than 94% of similar systems’ (the action level is 15).
I’m new in town
What to set up in Rochester, 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 Rochester.
Power comes from Rochester Public Utilities
Rochester Public Utilities (Rochester Public Utilities), a municipal utility, serves 99.5% of Rochester residents. Its homes paid an average of 18.6¢ per kWh in 2025, about $108 a month (its average across Minnesota).
Start or move service: rpu.org · (507) 280-1500
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Rochester water system
The Rochester water system supplies almost all of Rochester. It draws ground water and serves 123,624 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 86% of the 332 systems serving 100,001–250,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2023–Dec 2025, was 7.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 94% 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. MN1550010.
10 home internet providers serve Rochester
100% of 38,171 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 84% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | Cable, Fiber | 98% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Metronet | Fiber | 90% | 5,120/5,120 |
| HBC | Fixed wireless, Fiber | 61% | 100/20 |
| CenturyLink | DSL, Fiber | 57% | 100/10 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 82% | 300/20 |
| GigFire | Fixed wireless | 71% | 150/130 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
A county or regional provider runs trash and recycling for Rochester
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Rochester, from the town’s own site.
Hazardous Waste Collection
We couldn’t find its opening hours.
From rochestermn.gov, the town’s official site, checked Oct 21, 2026. Rules change: the town’s page is the last word. .
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Most of Rochester (92%) is in Rochester Public School District; parts are in Stewartville Public School District (8%).
B−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.
Rochester spans 4 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Rochester residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Rochester | ZIP’s residents in Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55901 | Rochester, MN | 46% | 96% |
| 55904 | Rochester, MN | 21% | 85% |
| 55902 | Rochester, MN | 19% | 91% |
| 55906 | Rochester, MN | 14% | 85% |
A few homes fall in 55903. 55905 is P.O. box or single-organization ZIP with no homes.
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 Rochester
Who supplies Rochester’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Rochester water system (EPA ID MN1550010). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 86% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 7.0 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Rochester?
Rochester Public Utilities (Rochester Public Utilities), a municipal utility. Its homes paid about 18.6¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Rochester?
Spectrum, Metronet, HBC, CenturyLink, Verizon, GigFire (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Rochester?
55901 (46%), 55904 (21%), 55902 (19%), 55906 (14%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Rochester in?
Rochester Public School District. Parts of the city are in Stewartville Public School District.
How do I register to vote in Rochester?
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 Olmsted County Elections. 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: Rochester’s own website (rochestermn.gov), read Oct 21, 2026, pickup and drop-off facts extracted and checked against the page they came from.
- 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.