Medical Lake
A small city west of Spokane sitting between a chain of mineral lakes — lakeside cabins, newer subdivisions, and a 22-minute I-90 commute to downtown.
Medical Lake is a small city in west Spokane County, Washington, organized around a chain of mineral lakes — Medical Lake itself, West Medical Lake, and Silver Lake — roughly 17 miles west of downtown Spokane. It is known for its lakeside cottage stock, a steady mix of newer subdivisions on the perimeter, and a quiet small-town pace. Median home sales typically run $350K to $600K, with true lakefront parcels trading at $700K and up.
At a glance
- Schools: Medical Lake School District 326 — Medical Lake Elementary, Medical Lake Middle, Medical Lake High
- Median price band: $350K–$600K; lakefront $700K+
- Construction era: 1900s lakeside cottages through present-day subdivisions
- Lot size: city lots in town; lake parcels vary widely
- Commute: ~22 minutes to downtown Spokane via I-90
- Recreation: Medical Lake, West Medical Lake, Silver Lake, Waterfront Park
What makes it different
Medical Lake’s defining feature is right in the name. The town grew up around the mineral-rich waters of Medical Lake itself, which was a destination resort in the late 1800s and still carries a quiet, lake-town character today. Three distinct lakes border the city — each fishes differently, each carries its own waterfront stock — and the city beach on the eastern shore of Medical Lake anchors summer rhythm.
The housing mix is broader than most small Spokane County cities. Original 1900s lakeside cottages sit on the older waterfront streets, mid-century ranch infill fills the central blocks, and newer subdivisions have expanded the city footprint to the north and west. Eastern State Hospital provides a stable public-sector employment base inside city limits.
Who lives here
A mix of long-tenure Medical Lake families, Eastern State Hospital and Fairchild Air Force Base employees who prioritized a short commute, retirees drawn by the lakefront and small-town feel, and a growing share of newer buyers stepping out of Spokane and Airway Heights in search of more land per dollar. Lakefront ownership skews longer-tenure and turns over slowly.
The catch
Small-town services mean a more limited grocery and retail footprint than buyers from Spokane proper expect — most major shopping is in Airway Heights, 10 minutes east. Inventory is consistently thin, especially in the family-home and lakefront tiers; well-priced homes often move within days. EWU and Airway Heights growth influences traffic patterns on the connecting arterials. Some older cottages were built without modern foundations or full insulation and read more like seasonal builds than year-round homes; verify systems carefully on anything pre-war.
How it compares
Medical Lake vs Cheney: Medical Lake delivers the lake recreation and a quieter small-town pace; Cheney delivers EWU, a larger downtown, and a stronger commercial base. Medical Lake vs Airway Heights: Medical Lake delivers established character and lakefront inventory; Airway Heights delivers newer construction and a shorter Spokane commute. Buyers choose Medical Lake when waterfront access and a quiet small-town pace outweigh the commute and the limited inventory.