Clothing and laundry · Small-town market · Kansas
Clothing and shoe stores in the Hays, KS area
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for clothing and shoe stores in the Hays, KS area, set against other small-town markets and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 28 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #458 of 536 scored small-town markets
#11 of 13 scored small-town markets based in Kansas
- Listings
- 32
- 13 chain locations (41%)
- Official establishments
- 17
- −15.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $22M
- On clothing, shoes and related services · $1,796 a household
- Spending per listing
- $687K
- 46% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 26.1
- 61% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 29,075
- +0.4% since 2020
See the clothing and shoe stores around any address in the Hays area
The site report maps the clothing and shoe stores on map listings near the address, by name and distance, and sizes the households and spending around it. Or open the report at the center of the Hays area. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
The Hays area scores 28 (lower middle) on the Groundwork market score for clothing and shoe stores, ranking #458 of 536 scored small-town markets and #11 of 13 scored small-town markets based in Kansas. That puts it in the bottom quarter of small-town markets.
As of September 2026, map listings count 32 clothing and shoe stores in the Hays area. 13 of them (41%) are chain locations, against 44% across the U.S. That comes to 26.1 for every 10,000 households, 61% above the U.S. rate of 16.2.
Households in the Hays area spend about $22M a year on clothing, shoes and related services, or $1,796 per household, 13% below the U.S. average. Spread across 32 clothing and shoe stores, that is $687K per store, 46% below the U.S. figure of $1.3M. That spending covers all clothing, shoes and related services, which clothing and shoe stores share with other businesses in the trade.
In 2023, official counts showed 17 businesses with payroll in the Hays area classed as clothing and shoe stores, down 15.0% from 2019. That is one for every 721 households, against one for every 1,273 across the U.S. Population estimates show the Hays area grew 0.4% from 2020 to 2025, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How the Hays area compares
The same measures for Kansas and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all clothing, shoes and related services by the clothing and shoe stores counted, so it measures the demand for each competitor, not any business’s revenue. Households per establishment does the same with the official count.
| Measure | Hays area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 26.1 | 14.5 | 16.2 |
| Spending per listing | $687K | $1.4M | $1.3M |
| Households per official establishment | 721 | 1,449 | 1,273 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | −15.0% | −11.4% | −12.2% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +0.4% | +1.3% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on clothing, shoes and related services | $1,796 | $1,989 | $2,055 |
| Median household income | $63,084 | $74,275 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 28 | 51 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 17−15.0% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 163
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $2.9M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 16Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 3213 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 17The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 0
- Amount
- $0
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as clothing and shoe stores in the Hays area, through June 2026, placed by the borrower’s ZIP code. Official establishments are businesses with payroll; the official counts leave out places with fewer than 3.
Population and households in the Hays area
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 29,075+0.4% since 2020
- Households
- 12,251
- Median age
- 36.5
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 63%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.1
- Land area
- 900 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 32
- Median household income
- $63,084+19.3% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $89,365
- Median home value
- $216,300
- Jobs located here
- 15,340
- Daytime population
- 30,752Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in the Hays area?
These figures cover the whole small-town market. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the clothing and shoe stores on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of the Hays area. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardClothing and shoe stores across Kansas
Every Kansas market ranked →The highest-scoring small-town markets in Kansas for clothing and shoe stores, numbered among those based in Kansas, with the Hays area marked.
Top small-town markets in Kansas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Ottawa, KS | 67 | 12 | 11.5 | $1.6M | +1.1% | #121 of 536 |
| 2McPherson, KS | 63 | 15 | 12.3 | $1.6M | −0.4% | #157 of 536 |
| 3Arkansas City-Winfield, KS | 56 | 14 | 10.5 | $1.7M | −0.4% | #219 of 536 |
| 4Atchison, KS | 54 | 6 | 10.5 | $1.7M | −0.9% | #237 of 536 |
| 5Hutchinson, KS | 51 | 31 | 12.1 | $1.4M | −0.6% | #262 of 536 |
| 6Salina, KS | 41 | 40 | 16.0 | $1.1M | −1.4% | #344 of 536 |
| 7Emporia, KS | 35 | 28 | 19.1 | $893K | +0.4% | #403 of 536 |
| 8Great Bend, KS | 33 | 22 | 21.2 | $816K | −2.5% | #419 of 536 |
| 9Pittsburg, KS | 31 | 28 | 17.7 | $945K | +0.1% | #433 of 536 |
| 10Dodge City, KS | 31 | 26 | 22.0 | $850K | −0.6% | #436 of 536 |
| 11Hays, KS | 28 | 32 | 26.1 | $687K | +0.4% | #458 of 536 |
Other business types in the Hays area
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
Groceries and convenience
Auto
Beauty and personal care
Fitness and classes
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
- Clothing, shoes and laundry27
- Clothing and shoe stores28
- Laundromats
- Dry cleaners
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many clothing and shoe stores are in the Hays, KS area?
The Hays area has 32 clothing and shoe stores on map listings as of September 2026. 13 of them (41%) are chain locations. The listings count clothing, shoe and accessory stores and boutiques. Official counts show 17 businesses with payroll classed as clothing and shoe stores in 2023, down 15.0% from 2019. Official counts list 16 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in the Hays, KS area spend on clothing, shoes and related services?
About $22M a year, or $1,796 per household. That is 13% below the U.S. average (an index of 87, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 32 clothing and shoe stores on map listings, it comes to $687K per store. The spending figure covers all clothing, shoes and related services, not only clothing and shoe stores. It is estimated from the incomes of the 12,251 households in the Hays area and national spending patterns by income.
How does the Hays, KS area compare with the U.S. for clothing and shoe stores?
The Hays area has 26.1 clothing and shoe stores per 10,000 households, 61% above the U.S. rate of 16.2. Spending per store is $687K, 46% below the U.S. figure of $1.3M. At the national ratio of clothing and shoe stores to household spending, the Hays area would have about 17, against 32 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 721 households, against one for every 1,273 across the U.S. The official count fell 15.0% from 2019 to 2023, against −12.2% for the U.S.
How fast is the Hays, KS area growing?
Population estimates put the Hays area at 29,075 people in 2025, up 0.4% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 12,251 households. The median household income in the Hays area is $63,084 a year, 22% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 19.3% from the 2015–2019 survey, before inflation.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. A small-town market is a town of 10,000 to 50,000 people and the county or counties tied to it by commuting. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. The Hays area scores 28 for clothing and shoe stores (lower middle), #458 of 536 scored small-town markets.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in the Hays area. It maps the clothing and shoe stores on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
How the score works · Top markets for clothing and shoe stores · All 56 business types in the Hays area
Screening a site or an acquisition in the Hays area?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of the Hays area. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.