Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Hays, Kansas
A $220,000 home here costs
$1,870per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,131. The real number is $739 higher every month — 65% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Hays against Ellis County and Kansas
| Measure | Hays | Ellis County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $220,100 | $211,100 |
| Median property tax | $2,681 | $2,582 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.218% | 1.223% |
| Median gross rent | $890 | $899 |
| Population | 21,078 | 28,870 |
The weather behind that power bill
Hays sits in Ellis County, which averages a high of 93.2°F in its hottest month and a low of 20.0°F in its coldest, with 24.84" of precipitation a year and 44% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,546 cooling and 4,935 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Ellis County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Ellis County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Hays?
A $220,000 home in Hays, Kansas costs approximately $1,870 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,131 principal and interest, $223 property tax, $128 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $183 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Hays?
Hays has an effective property tax rate of 1.218%, based on a median home value of $220,100 and median real estate taxes of $2,681. That is in line with the Ellis County average of 1.223%.
What is the average home price in Hays?
The median owner-occupied home value in Hays, Kansas is $220,100, against $211,100 across Ellis County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Hays?
Median gross rent in Hays is $890 a month, against $1,870 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Hays — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Kansas.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.