Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
2.9 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Kansas town. The town, settled in 1872, counts 1,707 residents.
The best of Medicine Lodge’s subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A+ for civic life; the weakest is a D for hazard risk. 38% of working residents work locally in Medicine Lodge, above both Kansas’ towns (15%) and U.S. towns (8%). On hazard risk, just 1 of Kansas’ 373 towns do worse. Medicine Lodge's public schools trail 70% of Kansas towns on state tests and graduation. Only 11 of Kansas’ 362 towns score higher on civic life. Carry A. Nation House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Medicine Lodge has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Medicine Lodge beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
2,009 counted in 2010 and 1,781 in 2020; an estimated 1,707 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kansas), ordered by how far Medicine Lodge is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1867.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Medicine Lodge, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Medicine Lodge.
Home values are up 16% over the year to September 2026. The going rate for rent for Medicine Lodge comes to $841 a month. Also worth knowing: just over two thirds of Medicine Lodge households are owner-occupiers.
| Medicine Lodge | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $841 a month | $975 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 68% | 72% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Medicine Lodge after 5 declared disasters, most recently in 2019. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 42% come from cold waves and 19% from wildfires. One flood insurance claim has been paid in the town since 1996.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The share of adults in Medicine Lodge who get no exercise outside work: 31%. CDC measures, 32 in all: Medicine Lodge beats Kansas on 1 and trails on 13. Only 7 of the 151 Kansas towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Medicine Lodge.
| Medicine Lodge | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 34% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| What stands out | Medicine Lodge | KS |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.2% | 77.6% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 25.2% | 11.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Medicine Lodge brings chilly winters and hot summers. July afternoons reach 94°, January nights drop to 22° and about 9 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Medicine Lodge’s typical household income is $59,000. Roughly one working resident in three has a job in Medicine Lodge itself. Jobs based in the town fell to 672 in 2023, 218 fewer than in 2013. 5.9% of residents live below the poverty line here.
| Medicine Lodge | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 13 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $59,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 5.9% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. Medicine Lodge's reported crime rate is well below Kansas's. Of the 87 Kansas towns we compare, none has a lower violent crime rate than Medicine Lodge.
| Medicine Lodge | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.7 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 10.7 per 1,000 residents | 13.6 | 11.5 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
The trail density in Medicine Lodge is 0.1 miles per square mile. Across 1 park or preserve: 0.1 miles of trail. One park or preserve covers 18 acres in the town.
| Medicine Lodge | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.3% | 2.1% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Medicine Lodge City Park | — | 18 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Medicine Lodge; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Medicine Lodge residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
4 notable people were born in Medicine Lodge.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
2.9 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Kansas town.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
4 notable people were born here, including Dorothy DeLay and Edward Joseph Hunkeler.
