Census place 0877290

Thornton

A Census profile of the people, homes, and daily patterns that shape this place.

Official Census name: Thornton city

Relocation snapshot

What stands out in Thornton.

According to the 2025 estimate, Thornton has a population of 147,766 and 4,031 residents per square mile. Of the six relocation measures evaluated, the three largest relative differences from the median among 54 covered Colorado places are: population density is 4,031/sq mi, above the comparison median of 2,114/sq mi; typical commute is 30.4 minutes, above the comparison median of 25.6 minutes; and median home value is $517,500, below the comparison median of $570,550. These unweighted medians compare covered Census places and are not statewide estimates.

population density
4,031/sq mi
Above the comparison median of 2,114/sq mi
typical commute
30.4 minutes
Above the comparison median of 25.6 minutes
median home value
$517,500
Below the comparison median of $570,550

National context

Follow the metrics.

Compare Thornton's values with other covered Census places. Rankings are descriptive, not recommendations.

At a glance

A city in numbers.

Population
147,766
2025 estimate
Annual change
-0.4%
Population estimate
Density
4,031/sq mi
36.7 sq mi land area
Median age
34.7 years
ACS 5-year estimate

Living here

The everyday equation.

Households, homes, education, and the time it takes to get around.

Median household income
$103,088
Median home value
$517,500
Median gross rent
$1,895
Bachelor’s degree or higher
32.8%
Typical commute
30.4 min
Drive-alone commute
71.1%
Public transit commute
1.6%
Walked to work
0.6%

Housing

Who rents, and what it takes.

Renter share and rent burden help describe the housing choices visible in this place.

Renter-occupied homes
28.6%
Renters paying 30%+ of income
58.8%

Work

How the workday lands.

Employment status and working-from-home share add context to income and commuting patterns.

Employed residents 16+
70.5%
Unemployed residents 16+
3.3%
Working from home
15.3%

Community

The everyday infrastructure.

Access, mobility, housing growth, and household composition add another layer to a place's day-to-day picture.

Households with broadband
96.5%
Homes built 2020+
3.8%
Households without a vehicle
3%
Households with children
36.6%
Residents with a disability
10.6%
Residents without insurance
9.9%

Environmental context

A record of declared events.

FEMA declarations for Adams County provide historical context, not a forecast or a property-level risk assessment.

Environmental declarations since 2000
7
Flood declarations
3
Snowstorm declarations
2
Coastal Storm declarations
1

Climate normals

The long view of weather.

Thirty-year averages, not a forecast. Temperature and precipitation describe the typical conditions recorded from 1991 through 2020.

Representative station: DENVER-STAPLETON (11 mi from place center)
Average high
66.2°F
Average low
36.5°F
Annual rainfall
15.4"
Annual snowfall
49"

Month by month

A year in Thornton.

Typical high and low °F
0°F20°F40°F60°F80°F100°F
JFMAMJJASOND
Typical precipitation inches

Data vintage

Population is from the 2025 Population Estimates Program. Household, housing, education, and commute data are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year release. Disaster declarations are from FEMA's OpenFEMA dataset and are refreshed with this edition.

Similar places

More places to consider.

Selected by the closest mix of population, density, median home value, and average annual high.

Meridian, ID

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
142,988
Median home
$531,600

Lakewood, CO

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
156,927
Median home
$574,400

Westminster, CO

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
116,182
Median home
$532,400

Keep exploring

Compare Thornton with Meridian