City · Kansas
Hays, Kansas
Hays, city, in Ellis County, Kansas. Hays had 21,258 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 0.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 21,116 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 21,143 (±24). GEOID 2031100.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
21,258
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 21,116 · ACS 2020-2024: 21,143 ±24
Median household income
$58,459
±$4,000 (90% margin)
Kansas: $74,275
Median home value
$225,500
±$13,652 (90% margin)
Kansas: $217,200
Median gross rent
$922
±$70 (90% margin)
Kansas: $1,060
Where is Hays and what county is it in?
Hays is a city in Ellis County, Kansas. It covers 8.7 square miles of land, 2,415 residents per square mile in 2020.
Hays is in the Hays, KS micropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Hays, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 21,258 people lived in Hays on July 1, 2025, up 0.5% since 2020, slower than Kansas (+1.3%). The 2020 Census counted 21,116 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 21,143 (±24).
| Measure | Hays | Ellis County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 21,143 ±24 | 28,920 | +244 |
| Households | 9,003 ±265 | 12,251 | +633 |
| Average household size | 2.18 ±0.06 | 2.23 | −0.18 |
| Housing units | 9,702 ±176 | 13,287 | no clear change |
Hays's population since 2000
From 20,013 in 2000 to 21,258 in 2025: up 6.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Hays as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Hays?
The median resident of Hays is 30.2 years old; 18.5% are under 18 and 15.8% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 86.1%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 7.4%. 2.9% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Hays | Ellis County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 30.2 ±1.0 | 33.2 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 18.5% ±0.8 pts | 20.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 15.8% ±0.9 pts | 16.0% | – |
| Male | 50.7% ±1.0 pts | 50.2% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7.4% ±1.1 pts | 7.3% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 86.1% ±1.5 pts | 86.9% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.3% ±0.4 pts | 1.3% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.9% ±0.5 pts | 1.6% | no clear change |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.2 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.9% ±1.1 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.9% ±0.9 pts | 2.4% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 7.2% ±1.6 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.3% ±0.8 pts | 3.8% | – |
| With a disability | 10.9% ±1.7 pts | 11.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 8.3% ±1.7 pts | 7.3% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 94.3% ±1.6 pts | 94.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 42.7% ±3.6 pts | 38.9% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 16.5% ±2.6 pts | 14.4% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 73.7% ±3.1 pts | 78.6% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 3.3% ±1.1 pts | 2.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Hays earn?
Half of Hays's 9,003 households earn less than $58,459 a year (±$4,000), against $63,084 in Ellis County and $74,275 in Kansas. In 2015-2019 it was $61,584 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 20.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Hays | Ellis County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,459 ±$4,000 | $63,084 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $79,484 ±$5,903 | $89,365 | – |
| Per capita income | $33,657 ±$2,350 | $37,483 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 20.1% ±2.9 pts | 18.3% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 11.4% ±5.4 pts | 15.4% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 4.1% ±1.6 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 96.9% ±1.2 pts | 95.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 93.5% ±1.7 pts | 92.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Hays?
Owners occupy 58.5% of Hays's occupied homes and renters 41.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $225,500 by its owner (±$13,652). The median renter pays $922 a month including utilities, and 43.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Hays | Ellis County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $225,500 ±$13,652 | $216,300 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $922 ±$70 | $943 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 43.4% ±7.0 pts | 42.8% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,585 ±$108 | $1,583 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 58.5% ±3.5 pts | 63.2% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 41.5% ±3.5 pts | 36.8% | – |
| Housing units | 9,702 ±176 | 13,287 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.5% ±0.8 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 3.6% ±2.3 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 64.9% ±3.2 pts | 70.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 3.2% ±1.5 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.4% ±0.9 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 5.5% ±1.7 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 10.3% ±2.3 pts | 12.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.2% ±1.7 pts | 3.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Hays building?
Builders took permits for 83 new housing units in Hays in 2025 (27 in single-family houses), 3.9 per 1,000 residents against 3.5 across Kansas.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Hays work and get to work?
77.1% of Hays's workers drive alone and 5.2% work from home. The average trip to work takes 11.1 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 3.6%.
| Measure | Hays | Ellis County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 71.8% ±2.4 pts | 72.0% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% ±1.4 pts | 3.2% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 77.1% ±3.4 pts | 78.3% | – |
| Carpooled | 6.7% ±1.6 pts | 6.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±0.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 9.9% ±2.5 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 5.2% ±1.5 pts | 6.2% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 11.1 min ±1.2 | 12.9 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Hays?
4 census tracts lie mostly in Hays, and 2 more reach into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $32,153 (Tract 729.02) to $79,399 (Tract 728.01).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 727.01Ellis County | 5,180 | $67,383 |
| Tract 728.01Ellis County | 4,741 | $79,399 |
| Tract 729.01Ellis County | 3,409 | $44,590 |
| Tract 729.02Ellis County | 3,647 | $32,153 |
| Tract 728.02Ellis County | 3,658 | $66,376 |
| Tract 727.02Ellis County | 2,649 | $66,250 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Hays) · Census block assignment files
How does Hays compare with other places in Kansas?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Hays is the 1,834th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 21st-most populous of 625 in Kansas.
Hays ranks 280th of 374 places in Kansas with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 21st | 625 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 145th | 373 |
| Residents per square mile | 12th | 376 |
| Median household income | 280th | 374 |
| Per capita income | 235th | 375 |
| Median home value | 103rd | 370 |
| Median gross rent | 142nd | 333 |
| Poverty rate | 19th | 266 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 53rd | 374 |
| Median age | 351st | 376 |
| Owner-occupied share | 340th | 374 |
| Work from home | 204th | 233 |
| Travel time to work | 355th | 375 |
Hays's figures with every place in Kansas (CSV)
Every place in Kansas, sortable · Compare Hays with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Hays?
5 of the 57 figures for Hays on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Hays are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Hays.