Jobs, pay and daily life in Hays, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Hays is a city in Kansas with 21,143 residents. The median household earns $58,459 a year and the median rent is $922 a month, which is 18.9% of the median household income. We could not match it to a metropolitan area in the BLS wage tables, so metro pay data is not shown.
How Hays compares. Among the 60 largest places in Kansas, Hays is #21 by population, #9 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #48 for remote work (#1 = most), #47 for homeownership (#1 = highest). Its county, Ellis County, is #58 of 105 counties for average pay ($47,061).
Hays has 21,143 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.7% of the population of Kansas. It covers 9 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,419 people per square mile. The median age is 30.2, 19% younger than the state median (30.2 against 37.4).
The median gross rent is $922 a month (rent plus utilities), 13% below the state median ($922 against $1,060). Over a year that is 18.9% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $225,500, which is 3.9 times the median household income ($58,459); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 58.5% of households own their home, 13% below the state average (58.5% against 67.2%).
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Ellis County was 3.1%. 71.8% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Ellis County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 77.1% drive alone, 0.0% use public transit, 9.9% walk, 5.2% work from home. 3.0% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 59% below the state average (3.0% against 7.4%).
42.7% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 20% above the state share (42.7% against 35.6%). 2.9% of residents were born outside the United States, 61% below the state share (2.9% against 7.4%). The poverty rate is 20.1%, 78% above the state rate (20.1% against 11.3%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 82°F (27.6°C), and the coolest is Jan at 31°F (-0.8°C). About 654 mm (26 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (102 mm) and Jan the driest (13 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Great Bend (46 miles, rent 18% lower); Dodge City (86 miles, rent 13% higher); Pratt (87 miles, rent 13% lower); Salina (92 miles, rent 4% higher). Rent differences are against Hays; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Kansas (341) →State guide: KansasCountry guideEllis CountyKansas rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 341 federal postings open in Kansas (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
No metropolitan wage table is matched to this city. Employment shares of residents by industry (ACS):
| Industry ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 34.8% |
| Retail trade | 13.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 13.6% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 5.8% |
| Manufacturing | 4.2% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.2% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.1% |
| Construction | 4.0% |
| Other services | 3.8% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 3.6% |
| Public administration | 3.6% |
| Information | 2.6% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.8% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Hays lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellis County | 28,920 | $2,050 million | $70,879 | 15,487 | 1,120 | $47,061 | -1.2% | 3.1% | 16,704 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 3,230 | 26.9% | $51,381 | 1.45 |
| Retail trade | 2,139 | 17.8% | $33,623 | 1.38 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,621 | 13.5% | $18,954 | 1.15 |
| Manufacturing | 837 | 7.0% | $56,355 | 0.66 |
| Construction | 616 | 5.1% | $57,832 | 0.76 |
| Wholesale trade | 516 | 4.3% | $63,810 | 0.85 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 453 | 3.8% | $38,609 | 0.97 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 449 | 3.7% | $65,767 | 7.66 |
| Finance and insurance | 384 | 3.2% | $71,961 | 0.61 |
| Professional and technical services | 341 | 2.8% | $53,725 | 0.32 |
| Information | 336 | 2.8% | $71,238 | 1.16 |
| Management of companies | 322 | 2.7% | $103,343 | 1.23 |
| Real estate and rental | 292 | 2.4% | $41,765 | 1.21 |
| Administrative and waste services | 262 | 2.2% | $36,773 | 0.29 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 111 | 0.9% | $14,919 | 0.43 |
| Educational services | 57 | 0.5% | $41,763 | 0.18 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 39 | 0.3% | $47,389 | 0.31 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 77.1% |
| Public transit | 0.0% |
| Walk | 9.9% |
| Work from home | 5.2% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 3.0% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,459 |
| Income per person | $33,657 |
| Median gross rent per month | $922 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 18.9% |
| Median home value | $225,500 |
| Homeowners | 58.5% |
| Poverty rate | 20.1% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | n/a |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | n/a |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 5.58%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 30.2 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 94.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 42.7% |
| Born abroad | 2.9% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 71.8% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -0.8 | 31 | 13 |
| Feb | 0.5 | 33 | 19 |
| Mar | 6.9 | 44 | 32 |
| Apr | 12.5 | 54 | 59 |
| May | 18.4 | 65 | 102 |
| Jun | 24.8 | 77 | 92 |
| Jul | 27.6 | 82 | 92 |
| Aug | 25.6 | 78 | 96 |
| Sep | 21.1 | 70 | 56 |
| Oct | 12.8 | 55 | 51 |
| Nov | 5.9 | 43 | 19 |
| Dec | -0.1 | 32 | 23 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Bend | KS | 46 mi | 14,479 | $54,139 | $759 |
| Dodge City | KS | 86 mi | 27,613 | $68,721 | $1,045 |
| Pratt | KS | 87 mi | 6,577 | $63,819 | $798 |
| Salina | KS | 92 mi | 46,307 | $61,783 | $959 |
| Hutchinson | KS | 95 mi | 39,709 | $58,687 | $881 |
| McPherson | KS | 96 mi | 13,995 | $77,529 | $925 |
| Garden City | KS | 104 mi | 27,819 | $72,865 | $1,052 |
| Holdrege | NE | 108 mi | 5,546 | $55,789 | $835 |
| Abilene | KS | 113 mi | 6,449 | $57,924 | $1,022 |
| McCook | NE | 115 mi | 7,314 | $56,917 | $823 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
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vs
21,143 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$922 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 18.9% of the median household income.
$58,459 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.1% (BLS county, Ellis County (latest month 2026M09)).
Kansas. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.