Drees House · Photo: Ammodramus · CC0Hays spent less per resident in 2022 than 96% of similar cities
Hays’ city government spent $9.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $463 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($1.8 million) and the airport ($481,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Hays is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$463 per resident in 2022: less than 96% of them
Hays’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($463 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 49 Kansas cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,012, and the middle half spent $787–$1,331. Hays spent less than 96% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.3 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Kansas cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Hays itself left out).
About $463 per resident a year, or $1.27 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 30%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Hays reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2023, 2024 are estimates), so there is no trend yet.
full-time in March 2025, up from 178 in 2022.
The typical homeowner pays $2,765 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.23% of the home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Hays’ rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Hays’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Hays →
Who’s in charge in Hays
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Hays’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on haysusa.com ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 116 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (20,829).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Hays Unified School District 489
Hays’ K–12 school district, shared with Schoenchen, Big Creek Township, Freedom Township, Buckeye Township. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,313 per pupil, $9,926 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Kansas districts overall: 28% local, 61% state, 11% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
How Hays voted in 2024
Official results for Hays’ own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Donald J TrumpRepublican67.9%6,303 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat30.2%2,807 votesOthers: 1.9% (175 votes).
Most votes in Hays: Donald J Trump
Ellis County: Trump 72.1%, Harris 26.0% · Kansas: Trump 57.2%, Harris 41.0%
of Hays’ 16,822 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Kansas: 62%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in the district: Tracey Mann
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Hays, its county and the state
| Trump | Harris | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hays | 67.9% | 30.2% | 1.9% | 9,285 |
| Ellis County | 72.1% | 26.0% | 1.9% | 13,511 |
| Kansas | 57.2% | 41.0% | 1.8% | 1,327,591 |
Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Hays.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: haysusa.com ↗
- 2Kansas HouseState representatives
- 3Kansas SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Kansas
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Hays compares with the towns next door
Hays spent $463 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Big Creek Township | estimate | $2,035 |
| Hays | $463 | $2,765 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Hays’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Hays’ government
How much does Hays spend per resident?
About $463 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $463 was less than 96% of 49 Kansas cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Hays?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,765 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.23% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.29% across Kansas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see haysusa.com.
Who runs Hays’ government?
See haysusa.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Hays yet.
How did Hays vote in 2024?
For president, Donald J Trump 67.9%, Kamala D Harris 30.2% (9,285 votes, official results). Ellis County: Trump 72.1%, Harris 26.0%. Kansas: Trump 57.2%, Harris 41.0%.
How many people work for Hays?
180 full-time and 19 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $990,952 (about $11.9M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Hays in the state legislature?
State Senate District 40 (Rick Billinger) and State House District 111 (Barb Wasinger). The House district also covers three neighboring towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Hays’ government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →