Hays at a glance
- Population: a Census-estimated 21,040, placing it 21st among Kansas's 625 places (Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: 21,116 people counted in the 2020 Census (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: down roughly 0.4% across the 2020-to-2023 comparison (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Kansas places: 21st of the state's 625 Census places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: ahead of around 97% of Kansas places in population terms (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: mapped at 38.8822, -99.3220 by the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities (within 120 miles): Dodge City, KS (86 mi); Salina, KS (92 mi); Hutchinson, KS (95 mi); Garden City, KS (104 mi) (US Census Bureau populations).
- Smaller places close by: Victoria, KS (10 mi); Schoenchen, KS (12 mi); Ellis, KS (13 mi) (US Census Bureau).
What a personal loan costs in Hays
A personal loan is structured as an installment plan, with a set number of monthly payments and a fixed amount due each time.
The APR is the comparable price of a loan since it folds in fees; model any offer with the personal loan calculator first.
A longer term reduces what you owe each month and increases the total interest, which is the trade-off to weigh before choosing one.
If you are consolidating debt, the loan only helps if you stop adding to the balances it clears; otherwise the total debt grows.
Kansas lending rules that apply in Hays
Every figure in the table below is sourced to a publisher with a date; where a state does not publish a number, we say so rather than estimate.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| UCCC consumer loan rate caps | 36% on first $860 of unpaid balance; 21% above $860 (closed-end consumer loans) Source says: "36% on the unpaid principal balance which is $860 or less, and 21% on the unpaid principal balance which exceeds $860". | Kansas Office of the State Bank Commissioner as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 15% per annum (general contract-rate ceiling for written instruments) Source says: "may stipulate therein for interest receivable ... at a rate not to exceed 15% per annum unless otherwise specifically authorized by law". | Kansas Office of the Revisor of Statutes as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Permitted under license (payday cash advances of $500 or less; charge capped at 15%) Source says: "a licensed or supervised lender may charge an amount not to exceed 15% of the amount of the cash advance". | Kansas Office of the Revisor of Statutes as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Supervised lender license required (supervised loans) Source says: "Unless a person is exempt from licensing ... such person shall not engage in the business of: (a) Making supervised loans". | Kansas Office of the Revisor of Statutes as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Kansas Office of the State Bank Commissioner (OSBC) Source says: "The Office of the State Bank Commissioner regulates all state-chartered banks, trust companies, mortgage businesses, supervised lenders, credit service organizations, earned wage access service providers, and money transmitters". | Kansas Office of the State Bank Commissioner as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Hays
Here is a short checklist for comparing personal loans in Hays:
- Pull your free credit reports and dispute any error — it is the cheapest way to improve the rate you are offered.
- Run your figures through the personal loan calculator on this site so you know the payment before a lender quotes one.
- Pre-qualify with at least three lenders and compare the APR, not the interest rate.
- Check that the lender is licensed in Kansas using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.