The Town Files

Carlton, Oregon

City in Yamhill County · population 2,220 (2020 Census)

Map: where Carlton is in OregonCarlton
Median home
$420,600
Household income
$98,393
Jan low / Jul high
35° / 83°
Snow a year
13 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
3
Median age
40.2

Carlton is a city of 2,220 people in Yamhill County, Oregon. The median home is worth $420,600, above the typical Oregon town ($394,200). It ranks better for families than 85% of Oregon towns, easier by car than 73% of Oregon towns.

How Carlton ranks

Percentile among Oregon towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Oregon towns.

Carlton lifestyle rankings vs other Oregon townsRetirement46th pctFamilies85th pctQuiet67th pctWalkability24th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals57th pctVibrancy28th pctHip & trendy13th pctCollege town23rd pctUpscale65th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit49th pctDriving73rd pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Carlton is worth $420,600, above the typical Oregon town ($394,200). Homes cost about 4.3 times the median household income of $98,393, which is more affordable than 79% of Oregon towns. Median rent is $1,839 a month. 75.1% of households own their home.

Carlton vs Yamhill County vs typical Oregon townCarltonYamhill CountyTypical Oregon townHome value$420,600$471,700$394,200Household income$98,393$90,063$76,221Monthly rent$1,839$1,480$1,312
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Oregon towns with 500+ people.
HousingCarltonTypical Oregon town
Median home value$420,600$394,200
Median rent$1,839$1,312
Median household income$98,393$76,221
Home value ÷ income4.3×5.1×
Homeownership75.1%71.1%
Median year built19961981
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Carlton

PeopleCarltonTypical Oregon town
Median age40.241.7
Age 65 and over18.7%20.1%
Under 1824.2%—
Bachelor's degree or higher32.8%23.2%
Below the poverty line5.9%10.8%
Veterans6.2%—
Born outside the U.S.11.0%—
Work from home12.4%12.2%
Average commute27.5 min23.2 min
Homes with broadband94.9%92.4%

Weather in Carlton

July highs average 82.7°F and January lows 35.2°F. About 37.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 13.3 inches of snow (typical Oregon town: 3.1 in). Expect about 19 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 47 nights at or below freezing.

Carlton monthly temperatures and precipitation30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing47°35°Jan51°35°Feb56°37°Mar61°40°Apr68°44°May74°48°Jun83°52°Jul83°52°Aug77°48°Sep64°42°Oct53°38°Nov47°34°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue5.53.94.13.04.21.33.00.12.01.30.30.41.33.55.70.56.54.5
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Mcminnville Muni Ap station (7.2 mi away); snow from Haskins Dam (8.6 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Carlton since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical Oregon town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on June 13, 2013 about 5.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 13, 2013.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Carlton by decade01950s01960s11970s11980s01990s02000s12010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Severe weather in Yamhill County since 1996

Storm events in Yamhill County since 1996 by typeFlood6Tornado1High Wind1Ice Storm1Lightning2Dust Devil1Heavy Rain14Heavy Snow3
NOAA Storm Events Database, Yamhill County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996).

Yamhill County has been included in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, biological.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
April 7, 2026Severe StormDR-4907: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
April 13, 2024Severe StormDR-4768: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Landslides, And Mudslides
May 4, 2021Severe StormDR-4599: Severe Winter Storm
September 15, 2020FireDR-4562: Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds
September 10, 2020FireFM-5371: Chehalem Mountain Bald Peak Fire

Jobs and pay in Yamhill County

Yamhill County had 39,371 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $54,993 a year. Unemployment was 3.5% in 2023; in Carlton itself the ACS puts it at 5%.

Largest industries in Yamhill CountyManufacturing6,676 jobs · $68,977Health care & social assistan…6,607 jobs · $50,706Agriculture, forestry & fishi…3,788 jobs · $49,060Retail3,750 jobs · $39,815Hotels & restaurants3,505 jobs · $29,357Construction2,110 jobs · $68,705
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Yamhill County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Yamhill 3.5%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Carlton

1 public school with 284 students, about 16.7 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Yamhill Carlton Elementary SchoolK-328416.7

Towns near Carlton

Carlton questions

Is Carlton, Oregon a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Carlton scores better for retirees than 46% of Oregon towns and quieter than 67%. 18.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.2).

How much does a house cost in Carlton?

The median owner-occupied home in Carlton is valued at $420,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $98,393, so homes cost about 4.3 times income. Median rent is $1,839 a month.

What is the weather like in Carlton?

July highs average 82.7°F and January lows 35.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 37.6 inches of precipitation a year and 13.3 inches of snow.

Does Carlton get tornadoes?

3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Carlton since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on June 13, 2013. The typical Oregon town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Carlton's Census boundary (GEOID 4111150). Comparisons use the median of Oregon towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.