Photo: Lorie Shaull · CC BY 2.0Living in Shafer, MN: what to set up and who to call
Tap water in Shafer comes from the Shafer 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. For home internet, most of Shafer can choose between Midco and Frontier.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Shafer, 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 Shafer.
Power comes from Xcel Energy
Xcel Energy (Northern States Power Co. (Minnesota)), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Shafer. 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 Shafer water system
The Shafer water system supplies almost all of Shafer. It draws ground water and serves 1,165 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. MN1130014.
5 home internet providers serve Shafer
98% of 469 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 0% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midco | Cable | 97% | 1,250/60 |
| Frontier | DSL | 84% | 90/5 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 31% | 25/6 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 15% | 25/3 |
| GigFire | Fixed wireless | 15% | 150/130 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Shafer’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Shafer.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Shafer is in Chisago Lakes School District.
A−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.
Shafer is in ZIP code 55074
ZIP codes where Shafer residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Shafer | ZIP’s residents in Shafer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55074 | Shafer, MN | 100% | 47% |
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 Shafer
Who supplies Shafer’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Shafer water system (EPA ID MN1130014). 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 Shafer?
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 Shafer?
Midco, Frontier, Verizon, AT&T, GigFire (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Shafer?
55074. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Shafer in?
Chisago Lakes School District.
How do I register to vote in Shafer?
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 Chisago County Gov 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.