Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0Living in Carlton, MN: what to set up and who to call
The Carlton water system has a clean five-year EPA record, but its latest lead result, 5.0 ppb, was higher than 92% of similar systems’ (the action level is 15). The closest public drop-off to Carlton is Landfill, 2 miles out; the town decides whether residents may use it.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Carlton, 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 Carlton.
Power comes from Minnesota Power
Minnesota Power (ALLETE, Inc.), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Carlton. Its homes paid an average of 15.9¢ per kWh in 2025, about $107 a month (its average across Minnesota).
Start or move service: mnpower.com · (218) 722-2625
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Carlton water system
The Carlton water system supplies almost all of Carlton. It draws ground water and serves 1,146 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 78% of the 7,966 systems serving 1,001–3,300 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2021–Dec 2023, was 5.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 92% of similar systems’ latest results.
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. MN1090003.
5 home internet providers serve Carlton
98% of 415 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 3% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mediacom Xtream | Cable, Fiber | 96% | 1,000/50 |
| CenturyLink | DSL | 35% | 100/10 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 44% | 25/3 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 37% | 300/20 |
| Airfiber | Fixed wireless | 7% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Trash and recycling in Carlton
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Carlton, from the town’s own site.
Accepted at the curb
- Plastics: bottles, jars, jugs, and tubs
- Tin and metal cans
- Glass jars and bottles
- Magazines
- Office paper and newspaper
Carlton County Recycling Shed
2 County Road 1
From cityofcarlton.com, the town’s official site, checked Oct 22, 2026; pages dated 2018. Rules change: the town’s page is the last word. .
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Most of Carlton (84%) is in Carlton Public School District; parts are in Esko Public School District (16%).
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 Sep 2024; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Carlton spans 2 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Carlton residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Carlton | ZIP’s residents in Carlton |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55718 | Carlton, MN | 98% | 29% |
| 55733 | Esko, MN | 2% | 0% |
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 Carlton
Who supplies Carlton’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Carlton water system (EPA ID MN1090003). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 5.0 ppb (Jan 2021–Dec 2023), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Carlton?
Minnesota Power (ALLETE, Inc.), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 15.9¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Carlton?
Mediacom Xtream, CenturyLink, T-Mobile, Verizon, Airfiber (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Carlton?
55718 (98%), 55733 (2%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Carlton in?
Carlton Public School District. Parts of the city are in Esko Public School District.
How do I register to vote in Carlton?
In Minnesota you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 21 days before). Elections here are run by the Carlton County Auditor. Check your registration at mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us.
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: Carlton’s own website (cityofcarlton.com), read Oct 22, 2026, pickup and drop-off facts extracted and checked against the page they came from.
- 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.