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CITY

Thornton

Colorado · 147,766 residents (2025 est.) · 36.504 sq mi
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Notable rankings
#190Largest by populationof 4,896147,766
The short version

Thornton is wealthier than most US places, with a median household income of $103,088. The city has grown rapidly, with population up 75% since 2000. Median home value has roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $517,500. At a median age of 34.7, residents skew younger than the country as a whole. It sits in the top 10% of US cities for household income.

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

Total population
144,187
+75%since 2000
from 82,384 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
3,950 / sq mi
+30%since 2009
from 3,034 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
34.7
+13%since 2000
from 30.8 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:147,766 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
46K73K100K126K153K1990201020202024Thornton
2024144K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.3%(9,049)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.2%(8,893)
US avg: 6%
10 to 148.3%(11,981)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.4%(9,290)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 247.7%(11,171)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3415.5%(22,403)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4415.8%(22,779)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.8%(18,401)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6410.1%(14,630)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 747.2%(10,330)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843%(4,379)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over0.6%(881)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$103,088
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $54,445 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$43,571
+103%since 2000
from $21,471 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
66.2%
+24.3 ptssince 2009
from 41.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
7.0%
+1.8 ptssince 2000
from 5.2% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.387
+10%since 2010
from 0.352 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information12.1%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade9.8%
US avg: 6.9%
Retail trade8.8%
US avg: 9.9%
Finance & insurance7.4%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical6.2%
US avg: 5.1%
Other services5.7%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration3.1%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing2.9%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food2.1%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services1.3%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.9%
US avg: 1.6%
Manufacturing0.5%
US avg: 0.4%
Construction0.5%
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$517,500
+87%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $152,100 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,895
+30%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $802 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
71.4%
−6.3 ptssince 2000
from 77.7% in 2000
28.6% rent
Vacancy rate
3.2%
−3.5 ptssince 2009
from 6.7% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
26.9%
−8.7 ptssince 2009
from 35.6% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
56.2%
+7.7 ptssince 2009
from 48.6% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
5.0
+52%since 2009
from 3.3 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
69
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Thornton on RentDataNow
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)
Diversity Score
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)
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
Ecuadorian0.1%(141)
Honduran0.1%(108)
Argentine0.1%(97)
Dominican0%(66)
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)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Laotian0.1%(144)
Indonesian0.1%(76)
Thai0.1%(76)
Pakistani0%(56)
Uzbek0%(8)
Pacific Islander origin
Guamanian0.1%(146)
Tongan0.1%(77)
Samoan0%(68)
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)
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)
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)
Armenian0%(18)
Serbian0%(17)
Ghanaian0%(16)
Haitian0%(8)
RANKED:Largest Mexican population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest English population · Largest Italian population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
32.8%
+12.9 ptssince 2000
from 19.9% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
87.9%
+2.8 ptssince 2000
from 85.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
10.7%
+5.9 ptssince 2000
from 4.8% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
30.4 min
+57%since 2000
from 19.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
71.1%
−8.5 ptssince 2009
from 79.6% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
10.2%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 10.7% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.6%
−2.8 ptssince 2009
from 4.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
15.3%
+12.1 ptssince 2009
from 3.3% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
0.6%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.9% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.2%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
3.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 3.2% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.5%
−2.8 ptssince 2011
from 7.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
74.0%
−2.2 ptssince 2011
from 76.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
12.2%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 11.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
39.4%
−22.7 ptssince 2009
from 62.1% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.0%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 50.2% in 2009
Female
50.0%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 49.8% in 2009
Foreign born
14.0%
+3.4 ptssince 2009
from 10.7% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.2%
−43.8 ptssince 2009
from 50.0% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
10.6%
+2.9 ptssince 2012
from 7.7% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
9.9%
−73.8 ptssince 2013
from 83.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
96.5%
+10.2 ptssince 2017
from 86.3% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
74.1%
−2.5 ptssince 2016
from 76.6% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
19.7%
+2.7 ptssince 2016
from 17.0% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
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
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Thornton to nearby cities

THORNTON VS
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Income$84,030−18%
Home value$462,100−11%
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THORNTON VS
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Income$56,597−45%
Home value$95,300−82%
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THORNTON VS
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Income$82,138−20%
Home value$353,000−32%
Population8,453−94%
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THORNTON VS
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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.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →