The Town FilesCarbonado, Washington
Town in Pierce County · population 734 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $452,700
- Household income
- $117,083
- Jan low / Jul high
- 34° / 77°
- Snow a year
- 4 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 31.4
Carbonado is a town of 734 people in Pierce County, Washington. The median home is worth $452,700, close to the typical Washington town ($475,000). It ranks better for families than 94% of Washington towns, better for first-time buyers than 90% of Washington towns, better for a vacation home than 83% of Washington towns.
How Carbonado ranks
Percentile among Washington towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Washington towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Carbonado is worth $452,700, close to the typical Washington town ($475,000). Homes cost about 3.9 times the median household income of $117,083, which is more affordable than 89% of Washington towns. Median rent is $1,809 a month. 85.3% of households own their home.
| Housing | Carbonado | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $452,700 | $475,000 |
| Median rent | $1,809 | $1,597 |
| Median household income | $117,083 | $90,625 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.9× | 5.3× |
| Homeownership | 85.3% | 74.4% |
| Median year built | 1974 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Carbonado
| People | Carbonado | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 31.4 | 40.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 6.4% | 17.9% |
| Under 18 | 34.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.8% | 27.6% |
| Below the poverty line | 1.8% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 2.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.9% | — |
| Work from home | 6.2% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 45.3 min | 27.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 89.8% | 93.9% |
Weather in Carbonado
July highs average 76.6°F and January lows 33.9°F. About 48.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 4.3 inches of snow (typical Washington town: 4.0 in). Expect about 4 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 50 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Carbonado since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Washington town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on September 6, 2009 about 8.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 6, 2009.
Severe weather in Pierce County since 1996
Pierce County has been included in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, biological.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 7, 2026 | Flood | DR-4906: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| December 12, 2025 | Flood | EM-3629: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| September 9, 2020 | Fire | FM-5360: Sumner Grade Fire |
| March 22, 2020 | Biological | DR-4481: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3427: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Pierce County
Pierce County had 333,492 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $70,395 a year. Unemployment was 4.7% in 2023; in Carbonado itself the ACS puts it at 1.4%.
Public schools in Carbonado
1 public school with 188 students, about 15.7 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carbonado Historical School 19 | PK-8 | 188 | 15.7 |
Towns near Carbonado
- Crocker, WA3.6 mi · 1,450 people · home $419,400
- Prairie Heights, WA5.4 mi · 4,561 people · home $500,200
- Buckley, WA5.7 mi · 5,114 people · home $574,100
- Prairie Ridge, WA5.9 mi · 12,288 people · home $462,000
- Tehaleh, WA6.4 mi · 5,784 people · home $741,700
- Orting, WA7.6 mi · 9,041 people · home $493,100
- Enumclaw, WA8.8 mi · 12,543 people · home $524,600
- McMillin, WA9.1 mi · 1,624 people · home $611,400
Carbonado questions
Is Carbonado, Washington a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Carbonado scores better for retirees than 27% of Washington towns and quieter than 60%. 6.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 31.4).
How much does a house cost in Carbonado?
The median owner-occupied home in Carbonado is valued at $452,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $117,083, so homes cost about 3.9 times income. Median rent is $1,809 a month.
What is the weather like in Carbonado?
July highs average 76.6°F and January lows 33.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 48.3 inches of precipitation a year and 4.3 inches of snow.
Does Carbonado get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Carbonado since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on September 6, 2009. The typical Washington town has had 1.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)