Medicine Lake, Montana Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 213, Medicine Lake's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Medicine Lake is a small community located in Montana, within Sheridan County. The total population is 213. It ranks as the 240th most populous out of 475 Census-designated places in Montana.

Age Demographics

The median age in Medicine Lake is 52.2 years. This is 29% higher than the state median of 40.4 years. 13.2% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Medicine Lake is $48,125. This is 34% lower than the state median of $72,509. It is also 40% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 13.4%. This is 16% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.5%. The unemployment rate is 2.6%. This is 28% lower than the state rate of 3.6%. The median home value is $106,800. Housing costs are 72% lower than the state median of $375,800. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.2x, Medicine Lake is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 76.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 11% higher than the state average of 69.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Medicine Lake is White (non-Hispanic), making up 80.3% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 12.7%. The Hispanic or Latino population is significantly higher than the state average (12.7% vs 4.6%).

Education

20.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 41% lower than the state rate of 35.2%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 92.4%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Medicine Lake, Montana is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Montana state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 475 Census-designated places in Montana. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.