Cost of living in Hays research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Hays is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Kansas, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Hays is 93, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Hays is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Hays ranks as the #42 cheapest in Kansas out of 63.
Hays ranks as the #2,137 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Hays is $185,700.
The median income in Hays is $50,941.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Hays has an overall cost of living index of 93, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Kansas, Hays has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Kansas's index of 87.
The standard of living in Hays ranks as #42 most affordable out of the 63 places we measured in Kansas. By definition, that implies Hays ranks as the #21 most expensive place in the Sunflower State.
For more reading on life in Hays, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Hays. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Hays is 93.
The Groceries index in Hays is 98.
The Health index in Hays is 108.
The Housing index in Hays is 84.
The Transportation index in Hays is 100.
The Utilities index in Hays is 100.
Living Expense | Hays | Kansas | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 93 | 87 | 100 | |
Services | 93 | 90 | 100 | |
Groceries | 98 | 95 | 100 | |
Health | 108 | 98 | 100 | |
Housing | 84 | 70 | 100 | |
Transportation | 100 | 93 | 100 | |
Utilities | 100 | 102 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Kansas, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Hays is $185,700.
The Median Rent in Hays is $777.
The Median Income in Hays is $50,941.
The Home Value To Income in Hays is 3.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Hays is 0.18x.
Statistic | Hays | Kansas | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $185,700 | $164,800 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $777 | $912 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $50,941 | $64,521 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.6x | 2.6x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.18x | 0.17x | 0.2x |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Hays. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Great Bend, KS has a cost of living index of 85, 0.9x Hays.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Hays |
---|---|---|---|
Great Bend, KS | 14,864 | 85 | 0.9x |