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The Vilas handbook

Living in Vilas, SD: what to set up and who to call

Every home in Vilas is in ZIP code 57349. The ER is a drive from Vilas: the closest is Madison Regional Health System, 23.8 miles away.

I’m new in town

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

Home services

Power, water and internet

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

Electricity

Power comes from Xcel Energy

Xcel Energy (Northern States Power Co. (Minnesota)), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Vilas. Its homes paid an average of 13.1¢ per kWh in 2025, about $101 a month (its average across South Dakota).

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

Drinking water · reported to EPA

Water comes from Kingbrook II Rural Water System

Kingbrook II Rural Water System supplies almost all of Vilas. It draws ground water and serves 2,715 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.

Lead, 90th percentile2.0 ppb
015 ppb action level20

The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan–Dec 2024, was 2.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 4.0 ppb. That’s higher than 69% 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. SD4600511.

Internet

3 home internet providers serve Vilas

100% of 16 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.

ProviderTechnologyAddressesFastest (Mbps)
Alliance Communications CooperativeFiber100%1,000/1,000
VerizonFixed wireless50%300/20
T-MobileFixed wireless44%100/20

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

Trash & recycling

We don’t have Vilas’ trash rules yet

Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Vilas.

Trash, recycling and bulk pickupNot on fileOpenStreetMap lists no public drop-off in Vilas or within 5 miles (as of Oct 9, 2026); map coverage varies by town.
Schools

Where your child goes to school

Public school districts and the school path by grade.

Vilas kids go to
PK–82 schoolsDepends on your address
9–12Howard High School - 01in Howard

Vilas is in Howard School District 48-3.

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

Town hall and registering to vote

Who to call, and how to register.

Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jul 2023; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.

ZIP codes & area codes

Vilas is in ZIP code 57349

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

ZIPPost office nameShare of VilasZIP’s residents in Vilas
57349Howard, SD100%2%

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.

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

Questions about living in Vilas

Who supplies Vilas’ drinking water, and has it had violations?

Kingbrook II Rural Water System (EPA ID SD4600511). 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 2.0 ppb (Jan–Dec 2024), against a 15 ppb action level.

Who provides electricity in Vilas?

Xcel Energy (Northern States Power Co. (Minnesota)), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 13.1¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).

What internet providers serve Vilas?

Alliance Communications Cooperative, Verizon, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).

What ZIP codes are in Vilas?

57349. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.

What school district is Vilas in?

Howard School District 48-3.

How do I register to vote in Vilas?

South Dakota has no online registration; you can register in person until 15 days before Election Day or by mail (received 15 days before). Elections here are run by the Miner County Auditor. Check your registration at vip.sdsos.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: 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 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.