When Carlson was in first grade, his father moved Tucker and his brother to the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, and raised them there. Carlson attended La Jolla Country Day School and grew up in a home overlooking the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club.

Where is Susan Carlson going?

On September 25, 2020, Carlson announced on Twitter that she is leaving WMAQ next month to focus on as a voice-over artist and a audio book narrator. She also serves as an adjunct professor at Loyola University's School of Communication.