Bayat is located at high altitude above the Black Sea coast, but has the character of a central Anatolian district.

The town stands in a valley of the River Bayat, a tributary of the Kızılırmak that runs down from the surrounding mountains including the 2013 m Mount Öbek.

In the mountain villages in the north of the district people live on forestry and herding livestock, there are also a number of coal mines.

Many families have migrated to larger cities in search of jobs, or go as seasonal labour in the construction industry.

The town of Bayat provides schools, health care and other basic amenities to the villages in the district.