Population 3,192 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Hays
Household size in Hays
| Period | Hays | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.75 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.76 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.31 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.37 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.37 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Hays is a place of small households, averaging 2.37 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has dropped from 2.75 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.4 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.6 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.8 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 46.7 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +12.3 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 46.7, Hays is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
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 | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.6% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.4% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.1% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.4% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in Hays than nationally: 9.4%, against 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 | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.8% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.2% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.3% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 18.1% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −8.7 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Hays is largely a place of homeowners: only 18.1% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 51.4% 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 | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.5% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.0% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.9% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.7% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.8 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 14.7% of the housing in Hays, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
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 | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1979 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1980 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1983 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1986 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Hays are newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1986, versus 1980 across the U.S. Still, homes here are older than in North Carolina overall, where the median home dates to 1990.
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 | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $515 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $582 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $744 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $680 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$165 | +$528 | +$606 |
Rent in Hays runs $680 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 22.2% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.0% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.7% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 9.6% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.7% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.7 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Hays have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 10.7%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 72.9% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 74.5% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 75.3% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 80.4% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.5 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in five adults in Hays never finished high school, well above the national share: only 80.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
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 | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.5% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.2% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.3% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.3% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.2 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Hays has been strong: just 3.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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 | 2.37 | 46.7 | 9.4% | 18.1% | 14.7% | 1986 | $680 | 10.7% | 80.4% | 3.3% |
| McGrady | 2.30 | 56.1 | 15.1% | 25.5% | 11.2% | 1984 | $603 | 9.9% | 81.4% | 4.3% |
| North Wilkesboro | 2.41 | 42.4 | 14.2% | 31.8% | 12.3% | 1976 | $730 | 17.3% | 80.0% | 7.4% |
| Moxley | 2.23 | 50.4 | 1.6% | 16.8% | 39.6% | 1986 | $599 | 17.4% | 95.8% | 2.6% |
| Traphill | 2.48 | 42.4 | 17.1% | 26.6% | 13.1% | 1984 | $668 | 6.2% | 69.9% | 13.5% |
| Roaring River | 2.50 | 44.8 | 16.4% | 26.3% | 13.3% | 1978 | $734 | 11.1% | 75.6% | 6.7% |
| Cricket | 2.42 | 35.9 | 9.5% | 48.4% | 7.2% | 1979 | $645 | 28.7% | 79.0% | 5.6% |
| Millers Creek | 2.47 | 46.2 | 11.6% | 23.2% | 17.2% | 1978 | $763 | 12.5% | 84.3% | 6.8% |
| Joynes | 2.25 | 50.0 | 4.8% | 17.7% | 34.9% | 1986 | $614 | 15.6% | 90.6% | 4.2% |
| Vannoy | 2.53 | 54.6 | 12.8% | 23.4% | 29.8% | 1993 | $719 | 9.5% | 83.5% | 1.2% |
| Wilkesboro | 2.41 | 45.3 | 12.0% | 33.2% | 12.5% | 1979 | $769 | 20.7% | 82.7% | 3.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Granger, IA · Sugarloaf, PA · Trafford, AL · Lake Royale, NC · Tremont, IL · Spring Valley, MN · Holland, NY · Heathsville, VA · Goodview, MN · Enterprise, MS
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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