Is Medicine Lake, MN a Good Place to Live?
Medicine Lake is a small town of 419 in Minnesota, with a median household income of $136,250 . Its cost of living index is 104 (US average = 100), which is 4% above the national average.
Strengths: Medicine Lake stands out for a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include high home prices. Whether Medicine Lake is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Medicine Lake city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 104.5Medicine Lake's overall cost of living index is 104.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Medicine Lake costs roughly 4% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Medicine Lake, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,037,200 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $983 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 80.3% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $136,250 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Near National AverageMedicine Lake's violent crime rate is 505.0 per 100,000 residents — 33% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
| Metric | Medicine Lake, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | N/A | — |
| Elementary Schools | N/A | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | N/A | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 69.6% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 99.3% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Medicine Lake sees average highs of 23.6°F in January and 82.3°F in July, with 34.7 inches of annual precipitation and 54.3 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Medicine Lake, MN |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 23.6°F |
| Average High — July | 82.3°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 34.7" |
| Annual Snowfall | 54.3" |
Demographics
| Metric | Medicine Lake, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 419 | — |
| Median Age | 45.4 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 0.0% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 15.9 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 93.6% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.8% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.2% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 24.1% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 17.9% | 16.8% |