Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
13% of residents are under 18 in Carlton, below both the Minnesota town median (23%) and the median of U.S. towns (22%). Only 9 of the 274 Minnesota towns we compare have a higher median age than Carlton. 13% of the land in Carlton is conserved, against 4.7% in Minnesota’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Carlton County Courthouse and Henry C. Oldenburg House. Carlton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Carlton beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 168 in 1880, 948 in 2020. The archive holds 17 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 4 maps from 1954 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Carlton, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Carlton.
Its public schools are run by the Carlton Public School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Terrace ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 163 | A− |
| Carlton SecondaryLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 145 | C |
NCES · EDFacts
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 71% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Carlton has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Carlton’s July high is 79°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
2.9 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Jay Cooke State Park, at 285 acres with 2.3 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. The trail density in Carlton is 0.7 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Jay Cooke State Park | 2.3 mi | 285 |
| 2. Gichigami Ziibi WMA | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Most working residents leave Carlton for work: only 4% work in town. The top destinations are Cloquet (30%), Duluth (24%) and Superior (4%). Half commute less than 15 miles.
| Carlton | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.1% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Carlton beats the Minnesota average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 14% of adults report frequent mental distress in Carlton.
| Carlton | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 31% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 30% | 36% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 10% | 12% |
| What stands out | Carlton | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.9% | 11.4% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.3% | 9.3% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.1% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Carlton home is worth about $336,000, up 3.6% in a year, close to the Minnesota typical home. 67% of Carlton households own their home.
| Carlton | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 67% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $970 a month | $1,196 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Carlton. Close and well known come first.
18 mi MuseumLake Superior Railroad Museum
18 mi Zoo & aquariumGreat Lakes Aquarium
18 mi MuseumDuluth Depot12 mi Zoo & aquariumLake Superior Zoo
17 mi MuseumFairlawn Mansion
18 mi MuseumLake Superior Maritime Visitor CenterLake Superior Railroad Museum: User resedabear on Flickr, CC BY 2.0 · Great Lakes Aquarium: Tmajewski, Public domain · Duluth Depot: Hikki Nagasaki, Public domain · Fairlawn Mansion: Nfarmakes, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Carlton
About 2 of every 100 Carlton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
2 places in Carlton on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Minnesota, United States
Carlton is a city and the county seat of Carlton County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 948 at the 2020 census. The town sits on the northwestern edge of Jay Cooke State Park. Minnesota State Highways 45 and 210 and County Roads 1 and 3 are four of Carlton's main routes. It is five miles south of Cloquet and 21 miles southwest of Duluth.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Carlton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
