Photo: David Brooks (User:DavidBrooks) · CC BY-SA 2.5Living in McChord AFB, WA: what to set up and who to call
McChord AFB has no town government of its own, so Pierce County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Bethel School District. The closest public drop-off to McChord AFB is Habitation Donation Dropoff, 2 miles out; the town decides whether residents may use it.
I’m new in town
What to set up in McChord AFB, 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 McChord AFB.
Power comes from Puget Sound Energy
Puget Sound Energy (Puget Sound Energy Inc), an investor-owned utility, serves all of McChord AFB. Its homes paid an average of 17.0¢ per kWh in 2025, about $147 a month (its average across Washington).
Start or move service: pse.com · (888) 225-5773
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Jblm Lewis water system
The Jblm Lewis water system supplies almost all of McChord AFB. It draws ground water and serves 35,414 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 83% of the 3,525 systems serving 10,001–50,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2023–Dec 2025, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 1.0 ppb. 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. WA5326050.
6 home internet providers serve McChord AFB
92% of 62 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 28% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Cable | 92% | 2,000/250 |
| Quantum Fiber | Fiber | 26% | 940/940 |
| CenturyLink | Fiber | 13% | 1,000/1,000 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 76% | 25/3 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 63% | 25/6 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 10% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
The nearest public drop-off is 2 miles away
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in McChord AFB.
Habitation Donation Dropoff
This isn’t McChord AFB’s own facility. Whether McChord AFB residents may use it is the town’s rule: check the town’s office.
OpenStreetMap, as of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Most of McChord AFB (53%) is in Bethel School District; parts are in Clover Park School District (47%).
C+School gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
No town hall: the county runs things
McChord AFB is unincorporated, so Pierce County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Sep 2024; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
McChord AFB spans 2 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where McChord AFB residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of McChord AFB | ZIP’s residents in McChord AFB |
|---|---|---|---|
| 98439 | Lakewood, WA | 82% | 48% |
| 98438 | Mcchord Afb, WA | 18% | 100% |
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 McChord AFB
Who supplies McChord AFB’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Jblm Lewis water system (EPA ID WA5326050). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 83% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in McChord AFB?
Puget Sound Energy (Puget Sound Energy Inc), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 17.0¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve McChord AFB?
Xfinity, Quantum Fiber, CenturyLink, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in McChord AFB?
98439 (82%), 98438 (18%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is McChord AFB in?
Bethel School District. Parts of the city are in Clover Park School District.
How do I register to vote in McChord AFB?
In Washington you can register online until 8 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 8 days before). Elections here are run by the Pierce County Auditor. Check your registration at voter.votewa.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 Sep 30, 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.