Median Income
$80,625
household / year
Median Home Value
$287,500
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$2,150
gross / month
Cost of Living
98
national avg = 100

Is Hays, TX a Good Place to Live?

Hays is a small town of 138 in Texas, with a median household income of $80,625 and a 8.3% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 98 (US average = 100), which is 2% below the national average.

Strengths: Hays stands out for a well-educated population.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include longer commutes, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Hays is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Hays city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 97.6

Hays's overall cost of living index is 97.6, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Hays costs roughly 2% less than the average American city.

Metric Hays, TX National Avg
Median Home Value $287,500 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $2,150 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 88.9% 65.9%
Median Household Income $80,625 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Safer than Average

Hays's violent crime rate is 265.4 per 100,000 residents — 30% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
265.4 /100k
Property Crime
1464.4 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Metric Hays, TX National Avg
School District N/A —
Elementary Schools N/A —
Middle Schools N/A —
High Schools N/A —
Student/Teacher Ratio N/A 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 52.2% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 97.3% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Hays sees average highs of 60.4°F in January and 94.2°F in July, with 41.0 inches of annual precipitation and 0.3 inches of snow per year.

MetricHays, TX
Average High — January60.4°F
Average High — July94.2°F
Annual Precipitation41.0"
Annual Snowfall0.3"

Demographics

MetricHays, TXNational Avg
Population138—
Median Age54.838.9
Unemployment Rate8.3%3.7%
Avg Commute Time33.6 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)66.7%59.3%
Black or African American0.0%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino24.6%18.9%
Asian1.4%6.3%
Under 1813.0%22.2%
65 and over37.0%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Manchaca, TX 2 mi Shady Hollow, TX 3 mi San Leanna, TX 4 mi Buda, TX 4 mi Mountain City, TX 6 mi

Hays vs Other Cities

Hays, TX vs Manchaca, TX Hays, TX vs Shady Hollow, TX Hays, TX vs San Leanna, TX Hays, TX vs Buda, TX Hays, TX vs Mountain City, TX

Frequently Asked Questions

Hays's cost of living index is 98, where 100 is the national average. That makes Hays roughly 2% less expensive than a typical US city — a meaningful affordability advantage. The median home price is $287,500 and median rent is $2,150/month.
Hays's violent crime rate is 265.4 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 1464.4 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
Hays, TX has a population of 138, a median household income of $80,625, and an unemployment rate of 8.3%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Hays averages 60.4°F in January and 94.2°F in July. Annual rainfall is 41.0 inches with about 0.3 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
The population of Hays, Texas is 138 with a median age of 54.8. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Hays: cost of living index 98 (100 = US average), median home $287,500, median household income $80,625, crime index 70 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Hays side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.