Platt-Cady Mansion · Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0Living in Nichols, NY: what to set up and who to call
Nichols spans 2 ZIP codes; 13812 holds the most residents (91%). George P. & Susan Platt Cady Library, 1.3 miles away, is the closest library to Nichols.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Nichols, 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 Nichols.
Power comes from New York State Elec & Gas
New York State Elec & Gas (New York State Elec & Gas Corp), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Nichols. Its homes paid an average of 22.6¢ per kWh in 2025, about $168 a month (its average across New York, for customers on its standard service). New York lets you buy power from another supplier; 6% of New York State Elec & Gas’ home customers do, and New York State Elec & Gas still delivers it.
Start or move service: nyseg.com · (800) 572-1131
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Veolia of Nichols water system
The Veolia of Nichols water system supplies Nichols: about 24% of residents live in its service area. About 76% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws ground water and serves 613 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 78% of the 5,327 systems serving 501–1,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2023–Dec 2025, was 2.4 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 77% 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 (EPA’s estimate). Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. NY5304408.
5 home internet providers serve Nichols
100% of 1,072 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiberspark | Fiber | 94% | 2,000/2,000 |
| Zeta Broadband | Fiber, Fixed wireless | 87% | 5,000/5,000 |
| Spectrum | Cable, Fiber | 61% | 1,000/35 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 52% | 100/20 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 45% | 300/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Trash and recycling in Nichols
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Nichols, from the town’s own site.
From townofnicholsny.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 Nichols (70%) is in Tioga Central School District; parts are in Owego-Apalachin Central School District (30%).
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 Sep 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Nichols spans 2 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Nichols residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Nichols | ZIP’s residents in Nichols |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13812 | Nichols, NY | 91% | 100% |
| 13827 | Owego, NY | 9% | 2% |
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 Nichols
Who supplies Nichols’ drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Veolia of Nichols water system (EPA ID NY5304408). 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 2.4 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Nichols?
New York State Elec & Gas (New York State Elec & Gas Corp), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 22.6¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Nichols?
Fiberspark, Zeta Broadband, Spectrum, T-Mobile, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Nichols?
13812 (91%), 13827 (9%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Nichols in?
Tioga Central School District. Parts of the city are in Owego-Apalachin Central School District.
How do I register to vote in Nichols?
In New York you can register online until 10 days before Election Day, in person until 10 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before and received 10 days before). Elections here are run by the Tioga County Board of Elections. Check your registration at voterlookup.elections.ny.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: Nichols’ own website (townofnicholsny.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 Aug 3, 2026 (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.