Living in Foster, WI: what to set up and who to call
Foster runs its own elections, so the Town of Foster Clerk, not a county office, keeps the voter rolls. For an emergency, Marshfield Medical Center - Neillsville is the closest ER, 15.5 miles away.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Foster, 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 Foster.
Power comes from Xcel Energy
Xcel Energy (Northern States Power Co. (Wisconsin)), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Foster. Its homes paid an average of 15.6¢ per kWh in 2025, about $113 a month (its average across Wisconsin).
Start or move service: xcelenergy.com · (800) 895-2999
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
3 home internet providers serve Foster
72% of 165 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 72% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | Fiber, Cable | 87% | 1,000/1,000 |
| TDS Telecom | DSL | 27% | 50/10 |
| Bug Tussel | Fixed wireless | 9% | 25/5 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Foster’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Foster.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Foster is in Osseo-Fairchild School District.
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.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Apr 2026; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Foster spans 2 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Foster residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Foster | ZIP’s residents in Foster |
|---|---|---|---|
| 54493 | Willard, WI | 78% | 14% |
| 54741 | Fairchild, WI | 22% | 1% |
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 Foster
Who provides electricity in Foster?
Xcel Energy (Northern States Power Co. (Wisconsin)), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 15.6¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Foster?
Spectrum, TDS Telecom, Bug Tussel (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Foster?
54493 (78%), 54741 (22%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Foster in?
Osseo-Fairchild School District.
How do I register to vote in Foster?
In Wisconsin you can register online until 20 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 20 days before). Elections here are run by the Town of Foster Clerk. Check your registration at myvote.wi.gov.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- 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 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.