What it's like to live in Hays
Hays is a small city in Kansas with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Hays deals with household incomes below the national average, a poverty rate above the national average, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and cold winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- High poverty rate
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold winters
- Hot summers
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Hays compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Hays
Based on Hays's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,844
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $36,880 a year
- 56% of Hays renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$45,100
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $22,550
- Homes cost 3.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 35% below US
$922/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $922 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $225,500. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $225,500 · 56% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.0% county unemployment
Unemployment in Ellis County is 3.0%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Ellis County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 23% below US
254 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1013/100k · Hays Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 57% below US
11 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 11.1 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 5% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 91°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 22°F and snow a regular occurrence.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 19% above US
43% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 43% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
7 public schools inside the boundary
There are 7 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Nicodemus National Historic Site (39 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Hays's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and a poverty rate above the national average. A year of median rent ($922/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), and people who want short commutes.
Other places near Hays
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