Ellis County · Kansas · Midwest · 21k residents
Hays, KS: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Hays: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the Kansas median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $942/wk. Kansas's corporate income tax rate is 6.5%. Commercial electricity averages 11.2¢/kWh.
Compare Hays side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$942/wk
Corporate income tax
6.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher
42.7%
Commercial electricity
11.2¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Hays's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
48/100
Steady
Ranks Hays's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $225,500 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $145 |
| Property tax rate | 1.34% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $697/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $901/mo |
| State & local income tax | 4.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.7% |
| Corporate income tax | 6.5% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $942/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42.7% |
| Commercial electricity | 11.2¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 37.6/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $113,420 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $79,320 |
| Wage: General manager | $92,840 |
| Wage: Customer service | $40,320 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $35,450 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $58,920 |
| Wage: Electrician | $65,860 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $32,180 |
| Cost of living index | 79 |
| Groceries index | 95 |
| Utilities | $165/mo |
| Transit pass | $50/mo |
| Gas price | $3.00/gal |
| Healthcare index | 94 |
| Childcare (per child) | $950/mo |
| Median household income | $58,459 |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% |
| Population | 21k |
| Crime index | 48/100 |
| School rating | 6.0/10 |
| Walkability | 30/100 |
| Disaster risk | 33/100 |
| Avg. commute | 20 min |
| Sunny days / year | 230 days |
| July high | 93°F |
| January low | 20°F |
| Annual snowfall | 13 in |
| Home price YoY | +4.6% |
| Home price MoM | -0.2% |
| Rent YoY | — |
| Rent MoM | — |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | -1.7% |
| Building permits YoY | +295.2% |
| Ocean coast | 694 mi |
| Big lake | 131 mi |
| Mountains | 308 mi |
| Major airport | 133 mi |
| Ski resort | 342 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Dodge City, KS · 28k
- Salina, KS · 46k
- Hutchinson, KS · 40k
- Garden City, KS · 28k
- Newton, KS · 18k
Similar size
- Pittsburg, KS · 21k
- Junction City, KS · 22k
- Prairie Village, KS · 23k
- Liberal, KS · 19k
- Emporia, KS · 24k
Real listings in Hays
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Hays a good place to run a business?
- Kansas's corporate income tax rate is 6.5%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $942/wk; commercial electricity averages 11.2¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Hays, KS?
- Hays indexes at 79 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $901/mo and a acs median home value of $225,500.
- How much does a house cost in Hays?
- The acs median home value in Hays is $225,500 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Hays?
- A two-bedroom in Hays rents for about $901/mo.