CITY
Thornton
Colorado · 147,766 residents (2025 est.) · 36.5 sq mi
Time machine
VIEWING
COMPARE TO
Part of the Denver metro area
Notable rankings
#190Largest by populationof 4,896147,766The short version
Thornton is a city of 144,187 people in Colorado. Since 2000 the city has risen by half, up 61,803 people. Few US cities rank higher on income. The median age is 34.7, younger than the US median of 38.9. Density works out to 3,950 people per square mile. Home values have roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $517,500.
At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 34.7
US median: 38.9
Average education
33% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 87%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
144,187
+75%since 2000
from 82,384 in 2000
147,766 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
36.5 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024144K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.3%(9,049)
5 to 96.2%(8,893)
10 to 148.3%(11,981)
15 to 196.4%(9,290)
20 to 247.7%(11,171)
25 to 3415.5%(22,403)
35 to 4415.8%(22,779)
45 to 5412.8%(18,401)
55 to 6410.1%(14,630)
65 to 747.2%(10,330)
75 to 843%(4,379)
85 and over0.6%(881)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$103,088
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $54,445 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
66.2%
+24.3 ptssince 2009
from 41.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information12.1%
Wholesale trade9.8%
Retail trade8.8%
Finance & insurance7.4%
Professional, scientific, technical6.2%
Other services5.7%
Public administration3.1%
Transportation & warehousing2.9%
Arts, entertainment, food2.1%
Education & health services1.3%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.9%
Manufacturing0.5%
Construction0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$517,500
+87%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $152,100 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
5.0
+52%since 2009
from 3.3 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
69
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic72.4%(59,635)
Black1.3%(1,106)
Hispanic / Latino21.3%(17,583)
Asian2.4%(2,013)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic50.2%(72,383)
Black2%(2,923)
Hispanic / Latino37.7%(54,293)
Asian5.2%(7,504)
Other4.9%(7,084)
75
+18%since 2009
from 64 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican30%(43,197)
Spaniard2%(2,952)
South American1%(1,407)
Central American1%(1,402)
Puerto Rican0.7%(998)
Colombian0.5%(723)
Salvadoran0.4%(582)
Guatemalan0.3%(438)
Venezuelan0.2%(301)
Cuban0.2%(258)
Nicaraguan0.1%(203)
Peruvian0.1%(145)
+ 5 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Vietnamese0.9%(1,338)
Chinese0.8%(1,096)
Asian Indian0.6%(823)
Filipino0.4%(641)
Nepalese0.4%(576)
Kazakh0.4%(552)
Hmong0.4%(533)
Korean0.3%(452)
Cambodian0.3%(417)
Japanese0.2%(263)
Sri Lankan0.1%(155)
Taiwanese0.1%(144)
Ancestry
German15.3%(22,077)
Irish9.9%(14,218)
English9.5%(13,674)
Italian5%(7,220)
American3%(4,346)
French2%(2,908)
Polish1.8%(2,525)
Scottish1.4%(2,023)
Swedish1.3%(1,851)
Norwegian1.2%(1,741)
Dutch1%(1,442)
Russian0.9%(1,308)
+ 42 more ancestry groups with data
Portuguese0.6%(800)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(698)
Czech0.5%(664)
Subsaharan African0.4%(616)
Danish0.4%(583)
Welsh0.3%(443)
Greek0.3%(442)
Hungarian0.3%(426)
British0.3%(413)
Ukrainian0.3%(407)
West Indian0.3%(363)
Turkish0.2%(300)
Nigerian0.2%(278)
Jamaican0.2%(276)
Arab0.2%(266)
Swiss0.2%(262)
Canadian0.2%(258)
French Canadian0.2%(258)
Lithuanian0.2%(258)
Austrian0.2%(223)
Finnish0.1%(216)
Romanian0.1%(188)
Croatian0.1%(171)
Australian0.1%(167)
Belgian0.1%(144)
Slovak0.1%(133)
Slovene0.1%(131)
Ethiopian0.1%(130)
Lebanese0.1%(92)
Iranian0.1%(82)
Brazilian0%(71)
Egyptian0%(65)
Syrian0%(64)
Guyanese0%(63)
Barbadian0%(61)
Latvian0%(52)
Bulgarian0%(26)
Macedonian0%(24)
Armenian0%(18)
Serbian0%(17)
Ghanaian0%(16)
Haitian0%(8)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
87.9%
+2.8 ptssince 2000
from 85.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
80.1%
+2.4 ptssince 2020
from 77.7% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
98.7%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 97.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married37.1%(21,166)
Married53.4%(30,485)
Widowed1.4%(784)
Divorced8.1%(4,628)
Women 15+
Never married30.6%(17,513)
Married52.6%(30,085)
Widowed4.5%(2,553)
Divorced12.3%(7,050)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
9.9%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 9.8% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
1.6%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 2.0% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
68.5%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 68.8% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
29.7%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 30.5% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)27.6%(1,843)
Gulf War (1990s)30.5%(2,037)
Vietnam era29%(1,934)
Korean War1.8%(122)
World War II0.3%(22)
Share of the 6,669 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper
Places similar to Thornton
Head to head
Compare Thornton to nearby cities
THORNTON VS
Northglenn
Income$84,030−18%
Home value$462,100−11%
Population38,893−74%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
THORNTON VS
Federal Heights
Income$56,597−45%
Home value$95,300−82%
Population14,075−90%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
THORNTON VS
Derby
Income$82,138−20%
Home value$353,000−32%
Population8,453−94%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
THORNTON VS
Welby
Income$80,026−22%
Home value$385,000−26%
Population16,197−89%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Thornton, Colorado?
Thornton, Colorado has about 144,187 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Thornton, Colorado?
The typical household in Thornton, Colorado earns about $103,088 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Thornton, Colorado expensive?
In Thornton, Colorado, the median home is worth about $517,500, and the typical rent is about $1,895 a month.
How educated are people in Thornton, Colorado?
About 32.8% of adults age 25 and over in Thornton, Colorado hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Thornton, Colorado?
About 7.0% of people in Thornton, Colorado live below the federal poverty line.
Has Thornton, Colorado grown since 1990?
Yes, Thornton, Colorado has grown since 1990. The population has added about 89,156 residents, a change of about 162 percent over that period.
Keep going
Explore from here
Up the hierarchy
ColoradoDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024