The Town FilesHays, Montana
Community in Blaine County · population 996 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $59,200
- Household income
- $52,250
- Jan low / Jul high
- 14° / 79°
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 1
- Median age
- 37.3
Hays is a community of 996 people in Blaine County, Montana. The median home is worth $59,200, below the typical Montana town ($249,800). It ranks better for young professionals than 91% of Montana towns, more of a college town than 90% of Montana towns, better transit than 89% of Montana towns.
How Hays ranks
Percentile among Montana towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Montana towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Hays is worth $59,200, below the typical Montana town ($249,800). Homes cost about 1.1 times the median household income of $52,250, which is more affordable than 100% of Montana towns. Median rent is $625 a month. 49.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Hays | Typical Montana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $59,200 | $249,800 |
| Median rent | $625 | $893 |
| Median household income | $52,250 | $63,249 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.1× | 4.2× |
| Homeownership | 49.2% | 70.7% |
| Median year built | 1981 | 1978 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Hays
| People | Hays | Typical Montana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.3 | 40.6 |
| Age 65 and over | 11.3% | 19.6% |
| Under 18 | 26.9% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.6% | 25.0% |
| Below the poverty line | 23.7% | 10.9% |
| Veterans | 10.2% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.2% | — |
| Work from home | 10.9% | 8.5% |
| Average commute | 15.7 min | 19.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 83.1% | 86.6% |
Weather in Hays
July highs average 79.2°F and January lows 14.1°F. About 19.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year. Expect about 9 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 186 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Hays since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Montana town. The strongest, an EFU, struck on July 6, 2021 about 4.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 6, 2021.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 28 times; the largest was 4.00 inches on July 13, 2024.
Severe weather in Blaine County since 1996
Blaine County has been included in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 7, 2026 | Straight-Line Winds | DR-4902: Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds |
| July 18, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4801: Severe Winter Storm And Flooding |
| August 12, 2023 | Flood | DR-4726: Flooding |
| March 31, 2020 | Biological | DR-4508: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3476: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Blaine County
Blaine County had 1,319 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $47,033 a year. Unemployment was 3.6% in 2023; in Hays itself the ACS puts it at 21.1%.
Public schools in Hays
3 public schools with 266 students, about 14.0 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lodge Pole School | PK-6 | 140 | 12.7 |
| Hays-Lodge Pole High Sch | 9-12 | 94 | 18.8 |
| Hays-Lodge Pole 7-8 | 7-8 | 32 | 10.7 |
Towns near Hays
- Fort Belknap Agency, MT29.0 mi · 1,567 people · home $72,700
Hays questions
Is Hays, Montana a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Hays scores better for retirees than 25% of Montana towns and quieter than 15%. 11.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.3).
How much does a house cost in Hays?
The median owner-occupied home in Hays is valued at $59,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $52,250, so homes cost about 1.1 times income. Median rent is $625 a month.
What is the weather like in Hays?
July highs average 79.2°F and January lows 14.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 19.5 inches of precipitation a year.
Does Hays get tornadoes?
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Hays since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EFU on July 6, 2021. The typical Montana town has had 1.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)