Hays is a city in Ellis County, Kansas, home to about 21,143 people across 8.6 square miles. Its ZIP code is 67601.
Homes sold for a median of $133 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Hays; also Munjor and Catharine
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Hays. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Hays’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Eppley Airfield (OMA)247 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Hays Regional Airport (HYS)4 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Wichita, KS135 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Dallas, TX444 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Hays; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Hays had 21,116 residents in the 2020 census, up 6% since 2000.
It’s the 21st largest of 721 towns in Kansas by population.
Ellis County grew from 8,626 residents in 1900 to 28,934 in 2020.
Ellis County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 93°F in summer, and winter lows average 20°F. About 25 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 13 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Hays, KS weather station (about a mile away).
12,808 jobs at 1,110 businesses in Ellis County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
418 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Hays.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 26 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 89 |
| Dentists | 30 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 103 |
| Mental health providers | 124 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 24 |
| Optometrists | 7 |
| Chiropractors | 15 |
| Pharmacies | 10 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (25 nearby)
Grocery stores (3 nearby)
Pharmacies (3 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (3 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (4 nearby)
Counts are within about 2 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1867.
Colleges and universities
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Hays. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln ElemHays | Pre-K–5 | 274 | Public | 0.4 mi |
| Hays Virtual SchoolHays | K–12 | 262 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| Kathryn O'Loughlin McCarthy ElemHays | K–5 | 371 | Public | 0.1 mi |
| Roosevelt ElemHays | K–5 | 420 | Public | 1.4 mi |
| Woodrow Wilson ElemHays | K–5 | 364 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Hays Middle SchoolHays | 6–8 | 726 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| Hays HighHays | 9–12 | 1,017 | Public | 2.2 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holy Family ElementaryHays | Pre-K–5 | 255 | Roman Catholic | 0.9 mi |
| Thomas More Prep-Marian HighHays | 6–12 | 281 | Roman Catholic | 0.3 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Munjor and Catharine.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.