The Town FilesMedicine Lodge, Kansas
City in Barber County · population 1,781 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $97,100
- Household income
- $59,392
- Jan low / Jul high
- 22° / 94°
- Snow a year
- 9 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 15
- Median age
- 43.1
Medicine Lodge is a city of 1,781 people in Barber County, Kansas. The median home is worth $97,100, below the typical Kansas town ($128,200). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 88% of Kansas towns, quieter than 83% of Kansas towns, better transit than 77% of Kansas towns.
How Medicine Lodge ranks
Percentile among Kansas towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Kansas towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Medicine Lodge is worth $97,100, below the typical Kansas town ($128,200). Homes cost about 1.6 times the median household income of $59,392, which is more affordable than 81% of Kansas towns. Median rent is $841 a month. 68.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Medicine Lodge | Typical Kansas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $97,100 | $128,200 |
| Median rent | $841 | $815 |
| Median household income | $59,392 | $63,857 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.6× | 2.1× |
| Homeownership | 68.4% | 73.7% |
| Median year built | 1953 | 1964 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.9% | — |
Who lives in Medicine Lodge
| People | Medicine Lodge | Typical Kansas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.1 | 38.5 |
| Age 65 and over | 26.7% | 19.0% |
| Under 18 | 20.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.3% | 24.0% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.9% | 10.6% |
| Veterans | 4.8% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.0% | — |
| Work from home | 3.5% | 6.4% |
| Average commute | 12.9 min | 19.6 min |
| Homes with broadband | 86.8% | 89.2% |
Weather in Medicine Lodge
July highs average 94.4°F and January lows 22.0°F. About 27.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 9.4 inches of snow (typical Kansas town: 12.4 in). Expect about 79 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 110 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
15 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Medicine Lodge since 1950, compared with 26 for the typical Kansas town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 17, 1976 about 9.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 24, 2019.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 91 times; the largest was 4.50 inches on June 12, 2002.
Severe weather in Barber County since 1996
Barber County has been included in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 11, 2025 | Severe Storm | DR-4891: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| March 29, 2020 | Biological | DR-4504: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3481: Covid-19 |
| June 20, 2019 | Severe Storm | DR-4449: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,Landslides,And Mudslides |
| February 25, 2019 | Severe Storm | DR-4417: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Barber County
Barber County had 1,568 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $44,619 a year. Unemployment was 2.4% in 2023; in Medicine Lodge itself the ACS puts it at 0.6%.
Public schools in Medicine Lodge
2 public schools with 473 students, about 11.0 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medicine Lodge Grade School | PK-6 | 246 | 12.9 |
| Medicine Lodge Jr/Sr High School | 7-12 | 227 | 9.5 |
Towns near Medicine Lodge
- Kiowa, KS19.2 mi · 902 people · home $69,100
- Attica, KS19.7 mi · 516 people · home $66,700
Medicine Lodge questions
Is Medicine Lodge, Kansas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Medicine Lodge scores better for retirees than 64% of Kansas towns and quieter than 83%. 26.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 43.1).
How much does a house cost in Medicine Lodge?
The median owner-occupied home in Medicine Lodge is valued at $97,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $59,392, so homes cost about 1.6 times income. Median rent is $841 a month.
What is the weather like in Medicine Lodge?
July highs average 94.4°F and January lows 22.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 27.8 inches of precipitation a year and 9.4 inches of snow.
Does Medicine Lodge get tornadoes?
15 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Medicine Lodge since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 17, 1976. The typical Kansas town has had 26.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)