Chapman Avenue, view to north - Wind River Administrative Site, Near Lookout Mountain Road, 1999
Carson’s story
132 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1999.
- 1894Carson is settled
CarsonWA
A town of 2,318, settled in 1894.
Region Six Personnel Training Station · Photo: Ian Poellet · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
2,318
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$453K
−0.6% in a year
Household income
$69K
median
Median age
53.5
years
Jobs based here
332
A commuter town
Is Carson a good place to live?
The best of Carson’s subject grades is an A for walkability; the weakest is a D for hazard risk. Carson’s median age is 53.5 years, above both the Washington town median (38.5 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). Among 286 Washington towns, just 6 have a lower share of children under 18 than Carson. The biggest park or preserve is Yacolt Burn State Forest, at 84 acres. Carson has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Carson stand out
Where Carson beats most towns.
A commuter town
90% of working residents leave Carson for work
Where Carson’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
332jobs based in Carson
10%of working residents work in town
32 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Carson grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far Carson is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.4 of 20; 2.3% of households have no carAOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →Jobs & incomeCOpen →SchoolsCOpen →HealthProvidence Hood River Memorial Hospital 14.8 miles awayC+Open →Cost of livingB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Carson: who provides what
Carson is unincorporated, so Skamania County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPUD No 1 of SkamaniaEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterCarson water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers92% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSkamania CountySkamania County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Washington you can register online until 8 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 8 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSkamania County AuditorSkamania County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP code9861098610 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Carson.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Inland flooding leads a very high hazard risk in Carson
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 83% of U.S. communities.
83risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesEarthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsC
On state tests, Carson’s schools trail 72% of Washington districts
Its public schools are run by the Stevenson-Carson School District. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
28%of WA districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carson Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 290 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
With 0.3 jobs for every working resident, most of Carson’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Carson for work: only 10% work in town. Since 2013, Carson has added 203 jobs, to 332 in 2023. At $69,000, Carson’s median household income is where Washington’s towns sit at $98,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000.
10%work in town
| Carson | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $69,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.9% | 4.9% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Carson10%
Stevenson19%
Portland7%
Vancouver5%
Hood River4%
32 mi
median commute distance
332
jobs based in Carson
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 90% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade B−
The typical home in Carson is valued at about $453K
The typical Carson home is worth about $453,000, down 0.6% in a year, 23% below the Washington typical home.
$453KZillow home value
Typical home value
Carson$453K
Washington$588K
−0.6%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Carson
Carson has mild winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Carson is 82°F.
17″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter33–44°
Spring40–61°
Summer53–79°
Fall42–63°
Nov 20
typical first frost
Mar 24
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
Residents of Carson are less healthy than 58% of U.S. towns
Carson beats the Washington average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 18. 16% of Carson adults report frequent physical distress.
42%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Carson | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 71% | 79% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 26% | 23% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 11% | 14% |
31 measures vs. Washington
1 better12 too close to call18 worse
| What stands out | Carson | WA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 74.1% | 70.7% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.3% | 5.1% |
Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital
14.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
OutdoorsC−
Carson has set aside 1.9% of its land for conservation
2.6 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves.
1.9%conserved
| Carson | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.9% | 4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
1.9%
conserved · 57 of 3,061 acres
2.6 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Yacolt Burn State Forest | 0.3 mi | 84 |
| 2. Gifford Pinchot National Forest | — | 57 |
| 3. Great Camas Patch | 0.1 mi | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 177 attractions →Mount St. Helens and 49 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Carson. Close and well known come first.
Big draw37 mi MountainMount St. Helens
Big draw26 mi MountainMount Hood
3 mi Canyon & gorgeColumbia River Gorge
18 mi WaterfallMultnomah Falls
8 mi DamBonneville Dam
36 mi MountainMount AdamsSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mount St. Helens: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain · Mount Hood: Oregon's Mt. Hood Territory., Public domain · Columbia River Gorge: Hux, Public domain · Multnomah Falls: John Fowler from Placitas, NM, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Bonneville Dam: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain · Mount Adams: USGS Photo by R. Iverson, USGS/CVO, Public domain
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Carson
17pages on Carson
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Carson; the nearest are
Mt Hood Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Gresham, OR31.5 mi$5,247 in-state tuitionColumbia Gorge Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · The Dalles, OR32.3 mi$5,940 in-state tuitionPortland State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Portland, OR44.3 mi$11,679 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Carson residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
About Carson
Unincorporated community in Washington, United States
Carson is a census-designated place in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, north of the Columbia River in Skamania County, in the southwestern part of Washington, United States. The population was 2,323 at the 2020 census. Carson is located north of Washington State Route 14 and the town lies south of Stabler and between Stevenson to the west and Underwood and the neighboring cities of Bingen and White Salmon to the east.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 4.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 469 ft
- ZIP code
- 98610
- Area code
- 509
Questions about Carson
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Carson, WA expensive?
That is 4.7 years of the area's median household income ($97,436 across the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.