Census place 2031100

Hays

A Census profile of the people, homes, and daily patterns that shape this place.

Official Census name: Hays city

Relocation snapshot

What stands out in Hays.

According to the 2025 estimate, Hays has a population of 21,258 and 2,386 residents per square mile. Of the six relocation measures evaluated, the three largest relative differences from the median among 38 covered Kansas places are: typical commute is 11.1 minutes, below the comparison median of 19.5 minutes; population density is 2,386/sq mi, above the comparison median of 1,745/sq mi; and median home value is $225,500, above the comparison median of $192,500. These unweighted medians compare covered Census places and are not statewide estimates.

typical commute
11.1 minutes
Below the comparison median of 19.5 minutes
population density
2,386/sq mi
Above the comparison median of 1,745/sq mi
median home value
$225,500
Above the comparison median of $192,500

National context

Follow the metrics.

Compare Hays's values with other covered Census places. Rankings are descriptive, not recommendations.

At a glance

A city in numbers.

Population
21,258
2025 estimate
Annual change
+0.1%
Population estimate
Density
2,386/sq mi
8.9 sq mi land area
Median age
30.2 years
ACS 5-year estimate

Living here

The everyday equation.

Households, homes, education, and the time it takes to get around.

Median household income
$58,459
Median home value
$225,500
Median gross rent
$922
Bachelor’s degree or higher
42.7%
Typical commute
11.1 min
Drive-alone commute
77.1%
Public transit commute
0%
Walked to work
9.9%

Housing

Who rents, and what it takes.

Renter share and rent burden help describe the housing choices visible in this place.

Renter-occupied homes
41.5%
Renters paying 30%+ of income
57%

Work

How the workday lands.

Employment status and working-from-home share add context to income and commuting patterns.

Employed residents 16+
69.2%
Unemployed residents 16+
2.6%
Working from home
5.2%

Community

The everyday infrastructure.

Access, mobility, housing growth, and household composition add another layer to a place's day-to-day picture.

Households with broadband
93.5%
Homes built 2020+
1.4%
Households without a vehicle
4.2%
Households with children
27%
Residents with a disability
10.9%
Residents without insurance
8.3%

Environmental context

A record of declared events.

FEMA declarations for Ellis County provide historical context, not a forecast or a property-level risk assessment.

Environmental declarations since 2000
12
Severe Storm declarations
9
Snowstorm declarations
2
Hurricane declarations
1

Climate normals

The long view of weather.

Thirty-year averages, not a forecast. Temperature and precipitation describe the typical conditions recorded from 1991 through 2020.

Representative station: RUSSELL MUNI AP (27 mi from place center)
Average high
67.3°F
Average low
42.4°F
Annual rainfall
24.8"
Annual snowfall
0"

Month by month

A year in Hays.

Typical high and low °F
0°F20°F40°F60°F80°F100°F
JFMAMJJASOND
Typical precipitation inches

Data vintage

Population is from the 2025 Population Estimates Program. Household, housing, education, and commute data are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year release. Disaster declarations are from FEMA's OpenFEMA dataset and are refreshed with this edition.

Similar places

More places to consider.

Selected by the closest mix of population, density, median home value, and average annual high.

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Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
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Median home
$209,000

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Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

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Median home
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Hermiston, OR

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
19,906
Median home
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Keep exploring

Compare Hays with Erlanger