Photo: Harrison Keely · CC BY 4.0Living in Franklin, NC: what to set up and who to call
The latest lead test reported by the Town of Franklin water system, which supplies Franklin, came in at 17.0 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), above the 15 ppb action level. The closest public drop-off to Franklin is Franklin Staffed Recycling Center, 4 miles out; the town decides whether residents may use it.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Franklin, 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 Franklin.
Power comes from Duke Energy
Duke Energy (Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Franklin. Its homes paid an average of 13.4¢ per kWh in 2025, about $134 a month (its average across North Carolina).
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Town of Franklin water system
The Town of Franklin water system supplies Franklin: about 97% of residents live in its service area. About 3% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws surface water and serves 9,650 people in all.
2 health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule), a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions), the latest beginning Dec 2024. 80% of the 5,012 systems serving 3,301–10,000 people had none.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2023–Dec 2025, was 17.0 ppb, above the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 100% 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. NC0157010.
6 home internet providers serve Franklin
98% of 2,024 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 34% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optimum | Cable | 83% | 940/35 |
| Frontier | DSL, Fiber | 50% | 10/1 |
| Vyve Broadband | Fiber | 40% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Skyrunner | Fixed wireless | 58% | 25/10 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 47% | 300/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 3% | 25/3 |
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 Franklin
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Franklin, from the town’s own site.
We couldn’t find pickup days or drop-off hours. Check franklinnc.com →
From franklinnc.com, 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.
Franklin is in Macon County Schools.
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 Aug 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Franklin is in ZIP code 28734
ZIP codes where Franklin residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Franklin | ZIP’s residents in Franklin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28734 | Franklin, NC | 100% | 14% |
28744 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 Franklin
Who supplies Franklin’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Town of Franklin water system (EPA ID NC0157010). It reported 2 health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule), a lead and copper treatment requirement (Lead and Copper Rule Revisions). 80% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 17.0 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Franklin?
Duke Energy (Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 13.4¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Franklin?
Optimum, Frontier, Vyve Broadband, Skyrunner, Verizon, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Franklin?
28734. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Franklin in?
Macon County Schools.
How do I register to vote in Franklin?
In North Carolina you can register online until 25 days before Election Day, in person with same-day registration during the early voting period, or by mail (postmarked 25 days before). Elections here are run by the Macon County Board of Elections. Check your registration at vt.ncsbe.gov.
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: Franklin’s own website (franklinnc.com), 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.