Hays, America is a university community of 20,000 people located half way between Kansas City and Denver on Interstate 70. We are the regional hub of Northwest Kansas for retail, education, medical service, entertainment, and recreation. Ellis County annually has one of the top retail pull factors in the state. Our downtown is being revitalized with unique shops and entertainment and the north side of town is expanding with additional retail offerings. We have a very diversified mix of businesses in the area although agriculture and oil are still major parts of the regional economy. The Hays Regional Airport offers four commercial flights each day to Denver. And, according to recent rankings by Progressive Farmer, E-Podunk, and BizJournal; Hays, America has a great quality of life. We happen to agree. Ellis County is also the home of two bedroom communities Ellis and Victoria.

Ellis County Ranks as Second Least-stressed County!

According to HutchNews.com, Ellis County ranks as the second least economically stressed county in the United States according to the 2010 Associated Press Economic Stress Index. 

They went on to say, "Counties in Kansas and South Dakota topped the list of least-stressed counties with populations of at least 25,000. Ford County, Kan. was the healthiest county with a Stress score of 4.17, followed by Ellis County, Kan. (4.31), Brookings County, S.D. (4.59), Brown County, S.D. (4.84) and Finney County, Kan. (4.86)."

Click on the link for the complete list and report!
http://hutchnews.com/latestlocalnews/stressedcountiestue

Source: Hutchnews.com; Martin Crutsinger and Mike Schneider - Associated Press Writers