Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Searles

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
The Searles handbook

Living in Searles, MN: what to set up and who to call

Searles has no town government of its own, so Brown County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend New Ulm Public School District. Power in Searles comes from Brown County Rural Elec Assn, a cooperative utility rather than a private company.

Which school will my kid attend?How do I register to vote?ZIP codes
Searles has no town government. It’s a census-designated place in Brown County, so the county and regional agencies provide most services. This page answers what we can; the same answers appear on Searles’ town page under “Getting set up”.

I’m new in town

What to set up in Searles, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.

PowerBrown County Rural Elec Assncooperative utilityMore →Internet4 providers90% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsMore →Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Searles’ trash rules yetMore →SchoolNew Ulm Public School DistrictWhich school depends on grade and addressMore →Register to voteOnlineRules from vote.govMore →ZIP code56073Where people live, not P.O. boxesMore →
Home services

Power, water and internet

Who to call to start service at a new address in Searles.

Electricity

Power comes from Brown County Rural Elec Assn

Brown County Rural Elec Assn (Brown County Rural Elec Assn), a cooperative utility, serves all of Searles.

Start or move service: browncountyrea.coop · (800) 658-2368

Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.

Internet

4 home internet providers serve Searles

90% of 97 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 0% can get fiber.

ProviderTechnologyAddressesFastest (Mbps)
Nuvera CommunicationsDSL, Fixed wireless100%100/20
VerizonFixed wireless91%300/20
GigFireFixed wireless71%150/130
AT&TFixed wireless59%25/3

FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.

Trash & recycling

We don’t have Searles’ trash rules yet

Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Searles.

Trash, recycling and bulk pickupNot on fileSearles has no town government of its own, so look for trash and recycling rules on the county’s site.
Schools

Where your child goes to school

Public school districts and the school path by grade.

Searles kids go to
PK–KWashington Learning Centerin New Ulm
1–4Jefferson Elementaryin New Ulm
5–8New Ulm Middle Schoolin New Ulm
9–12New Ulm High Schoolin New Ulm

Searles is in New Ulm 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.

Government & voting

No town hall: the county runs things

Searles is unincorporated, so Brown County is the local government.

Local governmentBrown CountySearles is a census-designated place: no town hall of its ownCensus
Who runs elections hereBrown County CourthouseElections here are run by Brown County (county election office). 14 South State St, PO Box 115, New Ulm, MN 56073-0115 · (507) 233-6617 · [email protected]FVAP, Jun 2025
Register to voteOnlineIn 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).vote.govCheck your registration and polling placemnvotes.sos.state.mn.usThe state’s voter lookup

Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jun 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

ZIP codes & area codes

Searles is in ZIP code 56073

ZIP codes where Searles residents live, with the share of the town in each.

ZIPPost office nameShare of SearlesZIP’s residents in Searles
56073New Ulm, MN100%1%

56084 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.

Everyday places

Getting around, the ER and the library

One line each; the subject pages have the rest.

Nearest emergency roomNew Ulm Medical Center6 miles awayGet a library cardNew Ulm Public Library17 North Broadway · (507) 359-8331

ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.

Questions about living in Searles

Who provides electricity in Searles?

Brown County Rural Elec Assn (Brown County Rural Elec Assn), a cooperative utility.

What internet providers serve Searles?

Nuvera Communications, Verizon, GigFire, AT&T (FCC, as of December 2025).

What ZIP codes are in Searles?

56073. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.

What school district is Searles in?

New Ulm Public School District.

How do I register to vote in Searles?

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 Brown 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.

  • 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.