Photo: Djmaschek · CC BY-SA 4.0Living in Wharton, TX: what to set up and who to call
Power in Wharton comes from Jackson Electric Coop, a cooperative utility rather than a private company. Wharton County Library, at 1920 N Fulton St, is the library in town.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Wharton, 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 Wharton.
Power comes from Jackson Electric Coop
Jackson Electric Coop (Jackson Electric Coop, Inc - (TX)), a cooperative utility, serves all of Wharton. Its homes paid an average of 14.6¢ per kWh in 2025, about $137 a month (its average across Texas).
Start or move service: jecec.com · (361) 771-4400
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from City of Wharton water system
The City of Wharton water system supplies almost all of Wharton. It draws ground water and serves 8,756 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 80% of the 5,012 systems serving 3,301–10,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jul–Dec 2024, was 1.7 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 2.1 ppb. That’s higher than 62% 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. TX2410005.
6 home internet providers serve Wharton
100% of 3,268 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 99% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparklight | Cable | 100% | 1,000/50 |
| Rise Broadband | Fiber | 100% | 1,000/200 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless, DSL | 29% | 25/3 |
| Skynet | Fixed wireless | 100% | 100/50 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 78% | 300/20 |
| Nextlink | Fixed wireless | 41% | 700/300 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Waste Corporation of America (WCA) picks up trash in Wharton
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Wharton, from the town’s own site.
We couldn’t find pickup days or drop-off hours. Check cityofwharton.com →
From cityofwharton.com, the town’s official site, checked Oct 23, 2026; pages dated 2021. 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 Wharton (94%) is in Wharton Independent School District; parts are in Boling Independent School District (6%).
C−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.
Wharton is in ZIP code 77488
ZIP codes where Wharton residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Wharton | ZIP’s residents in Wharton |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77488 | Wharton, TX | 100% | 62% |
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 Wharton
Who supplies Wharton’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The City of Wharton water system (EPA ID TX2410005). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 80% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 1.7 ppb (Jul–Dec 2024), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Wharton?
Jackson Electric Coop (Jackson Electric Coop, Inc - (TX)), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 14.6¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Wharton?
Sparklight, Rise Broadband, AT&T, Skynet, Verizon, Nextlink (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Wharton?
77488. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Wharton in?
Wharton Independent School District. Parts of the city are in Boling Independent School District.
How do I register to vote in Wharton?
Texas has no online registration; you can register in person until 30 days before Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before). Elections here are run by the Wharton County Early Voting Clerk. Check your registration at teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.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: Wharton’s own website (cityofwharton.com), read Oct 23, 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.