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Small city

Living in Hays, KS

Hays is a small city of 21,143 people in Ellis County, Kansas. It's about 135 miles from Wichita, KS and 256 miles from Oklahoma City, OK, the nearest major city. Summer highs average 93°F and winter highs 44°F, with about 14 inches of snow a year. The typical home is valued around $226k and rent runs about $922 a month.

21,143people
$226kTypical home
$922/moRent
93° / 44°Summer / winter
14"Snow
278Sunny days
61Rain/snow days

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Size & setting

  • Small city of 21,143
  • Its own small hub, not a suburb
  • About 2,419 people per sq mi
  • 256 mi to Oklahoma City, OK
  • 135 mi to Wichita, KS
  • Has its own stores and services

Money

  • Typical home $226k (≈$1,422/mo)
  • Median rent $922/mo
  • Median household income $58k
  • Property tax about 1.2% of value
  • 4.0% unemployment

Weather

  • Summer highs around 93°F
  • Winter highs around 44°F
  • Somewhat humid summers (dew point 61°F)
  • 278 sunny days a year (119 totally clear)
  • 87 cloudy days a year
  • 29 of 90 winter days are gray
  • 61 days a year with rain or snow
  • 14" of snow a year
  • 5 days a year with 1"+ of snow
  • 16 days a year over 100°F
  • 13 nights a year below 10°F
  • Windier than most places

Safety

  • Low violent crime (226 per 100k)
  • Low property crime (934 per 100k)

People

  • Median age 30
  • 27% of households have kids
  • 16% are 65 or older
  • 43% have a college degree
  • Not very diverse
  • 21% of residents are college students

Getting around & homes

  • Average commute 12 min
  • 10% walk or take transit to work
  • 4 mi to HYS airport
  • 247 mi to OMA (major hub)
  • 87 mi to the nearest Amtrak station
  • 70% single-family homes
  • Typical home built around 1973
  • 94% of homes have broadband

Outdoors

  • Flat, open land
  • Elevation 2,038 ft
  • 676 mi to the ocean
  • 204 mi to a big lake
  • 23 mi to the nearest trailhead
  • 237 mi to the nearest ski area
  • 23 mi to the nearest campground
  • 3 golf courses within 25 mi

Things to do

  • 45 sit-down restaurants within 25 mi
  • 8 bars within 25 mi
  • 6 coffee shops within 25 mi
  • No music venues & clubs within 25 mi
  • 13 museums within 25 mi
  • 1 brewery or distillery within 25 mi
  • 94 mi to the nearest farmers market

Everyday

  • Schools in the top 9% of Kansas districts (reading)
  • Grocery store in town
  • 1 mi to the nearest ER hospital
  • 46 mi to a 4–5★ hospital
  • Vet in town
  • 2 mi to the nearest dog park
  • 7 congregations per 10k people
  • College in town

Politics

  • Ellis County: R+46 in 2024
  • Kansas: R+16 in 2024

Natural hazards

  • Very low hurricane risk
  • High tornado risk
  • Very low wildfire risk
  • Very low earthquake risk
  • Low flood risk
  • Moderate drought risk
  • Moderate winter storm risk
  • Low heat wave risk
  • Very low volcano risk

Places near Hays

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