Is Medical Lake, WA a Good Place to Live?
Medical Lake is a small town of 4,909 in Washington, with a median household income of $73,456 and a 4.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 101 (US average = 100), which is 1% above the national average.
Strengths: Medical Lake stands out for solid school ratings (B), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Medical Lake is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Medical 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: 101.0Medical Lake's overall cost of living index is 101.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Medical Lake costs roughly 1% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Medical Lake, WA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $279,500 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $729 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 71.4% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $73,456 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Near National AverageMedical Lake's violent crime rate is 409.9 per 100,000 residents — 8% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Medical Lake is served primarily by Medical Lake School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16.3:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Medical Lake, WA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Medical Lake School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 2 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 16.3:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 32.1% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 94.8% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Medical Lake sees average highs of 33.4°F in January and 83.4°F in July, with 17.4 inches of annual precipitation and 48.2 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Medical Lake, WA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 33.4°F |
| Average High — July | 83.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 17.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 48.2" |
Demographics
| Metric | Medical Lake, WA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 4,909 | — |
| Median Age | 36.1 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.5% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 22.4 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 87.6% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 4.3% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.1% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 23.1% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 12.3% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Medical Lake
Medical Lake, WA is covered by 1 ZIP code: