Population 651 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Hays
Household size in Hays
| Period | Hays | Jackson area | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.79 | 2.70 | 2.66 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.30 | 2.71 | 2.67 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.30 | 2.68 | 2.64 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.14 | 2.56 | 2.57 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.64 | −0.14 | −0.09 | −0.03 |
Hays is a place of small households, averaging 2.14 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.79, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Hays
| Period | Hays | Jackson area | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.4 | 35.9 | 36.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 29.9 | 36.9 | 37.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.2 | 37.9 | 38.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.4 | 39.1 | 39.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +14.0 | +3.2 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Hays is 43.4 years old, older than the national median of 40.1.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Hays
| Period | Hays | Jackson area | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.0% | 17.1% | 15.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.4% | 16.8% | 15.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.3% | 15.7% | 14.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 50.4% | 14.7% | 14.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +27.4 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about half of households in Hays (50.4%), well above the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Hays
Renters in Hays
| Period | Hays | Jackson area | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.5% | 31.3% | 29.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 22.1% | 32.4% | 31.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 10.6% | 32.4% | 31.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 1.1% | 32.5% | 30.0% | 34.8% |
| Change | −7.4 pts | +1.2 pts | +0.8 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 1.1% of households in Hays rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 50.7% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Hays
| Period | Hays | Jackson area | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.8% | 11.3% | 13.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.4% | 12.7% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.6% | 13.3% | 16.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.7% | 12.0% | 14.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −6.1 pts | +0.7 pts | +0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in Hays: 11.7% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. The Jackson area as a whole looks much the same.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Hays
| Period | Hays | Jackson area | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1987 | 1982 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1987 | 1983 | 1983 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1985 | 1984 | 1984 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1994 | 1987 | 1987 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +4 | +5 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Hays is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1994, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Hays
| Period | Hays | Jackson area | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $667 | $796 | $703 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $667 | $862 | $758 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $562 | $940 | $819 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $700 | $1,161 | $1,018 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$33 | +$364 | +$315 | +$606 |
Rent in Hays runs $700 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 26.2% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Hays
Bachelor's degrees in Hays
| Period | Hays | Jackson area | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.6% | 28.1% | 20.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 3.9% | 28.8% | 21.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 7.8% | 29.7% | 22.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.7% | 33.0% | 25.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +11.1 pts | +4.8 pts | +5.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Hays: 12.7% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Hays
| Period | Hays | Jackson area | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 67.1% | 83.3% | 80.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 58.7% | 85.3% | 82.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 68.0% | 86.9% | 84.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.3% | 88.8% | 87.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +23.2 pts | +5.5 pts | +6.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Hays is close to the national rate: 90.3% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The rate is higher than in the Jackson area overall (88.8%).
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Hays
| Period | Hays | Jackson area | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.8% | 8.0% | 9.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 15.5% | 9.6% | 11.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.4% | 7.2% | 7.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.5% | 5.7% | 5.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.3 pts | −2.3 pts | −3.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Hays has been low: just 0.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Hays compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hays | 2.14 | 43.4 | 50.4% | 1.1% | 11.7% | 1994 | $700 | 12.7% | 90.3% | 0.5% |
| Conehatta | 2.93 | 40.3 | 14.1% | 9.3% | 10.3% | 1991 | $524 | 17.9% | 87.1% | 3.3% |
| Gum Springs | 2.65 | 37.2 | 30.8% | 28.2% | 13.4% | 1993 | $694 | 8.3% | 78.7% | 2.8% |
| Usrytown | 2.07 | 40.6 | 11.8% | 32.6% | 11.4% | 1993 | $682 | 10.2% | 89.0% | 2.9% |
| Prospect | 3.08 | 29.5 | 4.2% | 10.8% | 9.9% | 1985 | $654 | 19.2% | 88.7% | 4.2% |
| Sebastopol | 2.86 | 38.9 | 14.6% | 27.0% | 9.1% | 1988 | $924 | 12.0% | 84.2% | 0.8% |
| Harperville | 3.01 | 32.8 | 20.4% | 16.1% | 21.4% | 2000 | $770 | 7.2% | 71.6% | 4.2% |
| Lake | 2.86 | 37.5 | 13.0% | 22.2% | 18.4% | 1985 | $687 | 13.6% | 89.1% | 6.2% |
| Forest | 2.92 | 38.8 | 24.7% | 32.6% | 16.3% | 1987 | $820 | 13.2% | 71.9% | 5.7% |
| Hillsboro | 2.64 | 35.2 | 40.6% | 14.4% | 22.1% | 1989 | $914 | 19.5% | 74.7% | 8.9% |
| Lawrence | 2.64 | 44.6 | 10.7% | 10.0% | 15.6% | 1990 | $817 | 13.0% | 87.0% | 3.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Kincheon, AL · Lena, LA · Latty, IA · Lakewood Township, IL · Lake Poinsett, SD · Lagoon, NC · Lacey, OK · L'Erable, IL · Koonsville, PA · Klossner, MN
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Hays. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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