Medicine Lake, MT

This town of 242 residents needs 10 more housing units over the next five years.

Housing snapshot

Population
242 (2026)
Households
117
Median household income
$51,042 (2026)
Typical home value
$139,024
Owner-occupied
56%
Five-year housing need
10 units

Comparison to other Montana municipalities

Medicine Lake: $51,042 Median income (2026 estimate)
<$26K >$115K
Medicine Lake: None jobs to household ratio
<0.55 >2.13
Medicine Lake: No permit data
<0.1% >15.1%
On this page

How affordable is this community?

At $139,024, homes in Medicine Lake, MT cost well below the Montana average of $296,624. Medicine Lake, MT's median household income of $51,042 comfortably exceeds what is needed to afford the typical home, making this a relatively affordable market.

This chart tracks whether housing prices are keeping pace with local incomes. The gap between what homes cost and what households can afford reveals affordability trends over time.

How has employment changed over time?

Jobs by industry sector since 2012. Switch between local jobs — counted where the jobs are located — and resident jobs, counted where the workers live. On the local view the most recent year is a nowcast: it grows the latest local LODES job mix forward using recent county employment growth from QCEW and the BLS local employment series, so the newest point tracks today's economy instead of data that is roughly two years old.

How are households changing by income?

Medicine Lake, MT has roughly 117 households and a population that has been largely stable in recent years.

Understanding how households at different income levels are growing or declining helps identify which groups face the greatest housing pressure and where new housing is most needed.

Who lives here today?

In Medicine Lake, MT, detached single-family accounts for 60% of the housing stock. Homeownership is the norm in Medicine Lake, MT, with 56% of units owner-occupied.

Households may have different structure type preferences depending on characteristics such as household size, income, employment, presence of children, age of individuals, and lifestyle choices. Understanding the housing stock in corresponding terms helps assess how well existing units align with existing households' ideals.

What does the housing stock look like?

The mix of housing types and ownership patterns shapes a community's character. This chart breaks down housing units by structure type and whether they're owner-occupied or rented.

How does this place compare to similar communities?