Photo: M.O. Stevens · CC BY 3.0Even on the area’s higher pay, Carlton costs more to live in than 81% of U.S. towns
Up 0.7% in a year, 14% above the Oregon typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area ($97K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 3 sales in May 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade measures what housing costs against what households in the area earn. Carlton’s area earns well above the typical U.S. town ($97K against $74K), but homes, rent and taxes here run higher still. Owners keep up no better than renters: 32% of owners pay 30% or more of income for housing (typical U.S. town: 20%), against 29% of renters.
In dollars
- $560Ktypical home, 14% above the Oregon typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,870a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
- 105prices across the Portland metro, where the U.S. is 100 (housing 125)BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
In paychecks the grade
- 4.3 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$97K, Portland-area income
- 23%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 29%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Oregon: 53%Census 2020–24
- 32%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What stands out about housing in Carlton
What’s behind Carlton’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Carlton is more affordable than 19% of U.S. towns. Rent pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Prices here have kept pace with Oregon: up 10.4% in five years, against 7.1% statewide (Zillow).
Up 10.4% in five years
Faster than Oregon (7.1%).
Show as a table
| January | Carlton | Oregon |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $330,000 | $310,000 |
| 2018 | $354,000 | $334,000 |
| 2019 | $378,000 | $352,000 |
| 2020 | $395,000 | $367,000 |
| 2021 | $445,000 | $408,000 |
| 2022 | $527,000 | $476,000 |
| 2023 | $539,000 | $487,000 |
| 2024 | $550,000 | $491,000 |
| 2025 | $568,000 | $500,000 |
| 2026 | $562,000 | $496,000 |
| September 2026 | $560,000 | $493,000 |
A typical Carlton home worth $320K in October 2016 is worth about $560K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 4.3 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Carlton’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $181K short of a typical Carlton home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,870 a month here, $1,480 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Carlton’s typical property tax (0.88% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,870
Renters already here pay a median of $1,839.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA MSA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
No new homes permitted in 2010
No permits for new homes were issued in Carlton in 2010. The last year with any was 2008 (17 new homes).
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2008 | 17 | 17 | 0 | $2.3 million |
| 2007 | 46 | 46 | 0 | $7.7 million |
| 2006 | 25 | 25 | 0 | $3.8 million |
| 2005 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $1.6 million |
| 2004 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2003 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $422,000 |
| 2002 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $130,000 |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Carlton's permit office hasn't appeared in the Census permit files since 2010, so these are its newest figures.
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $3,712, under the Oregon median of $3,876, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 0.88% a year, against 0.81% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
The rest of a budget near Carlton
Only figures published free for the whole country, each labeled with the area it covers: the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area, or Oregon. Groceries follow the goods price level; nobody publishes them town by town.
| Cost | Here | Compared with | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prices overall U.S. = 100 | 105 | OR 103 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Goods (groceries, clothing, cars…) U.S. = 100 | 105 | OR 105 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Utilities U.S. = 100 | 107 | OR 107 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Other services U.S. = 100 | 100 | OR 100 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
Price levels: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024 (metro area and state). Electricity: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, table 5.6.A.
Carlton and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlton | C− | $560K | $421K | 0.88% | $1,870 |
Questions about the cost of living in Carlton
Is Carlton expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Carlton costs more than 81% of U.S. towns: a C− for cost of living. The typical home costs 4.3 years of the median household income of the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area ($97K).
How much does a house cost in Carlton?
About $560K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 0.7% in a year. The Oregon typical home is $493K.
What salary do you need to live in Carlton?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $143,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $3,350 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $75,000.
How much is rent in Carlton?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,870 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,839 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Carlton?
The median bill is $3,712 a year, 0.88% of the median home value (Oregon: $3,876, 0.81%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Carlton going up?
Barely: up 0.7% in the past year and 10.4% in five years, against 7.1% across Oregon (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Carlton buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.