Latest Census city estimates released May 14, 2026 · Population as of July 1, 2025 · Next city estimates scheduled for May 2027. Release schedule
Thornton, Colorado population is 147,766 as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimate), ranking #190 nationally and #6 in Colorado. Cost of living runs 5.8% above the U.S. average (BEA RPP 2024); the four-person spending scenario corresponds to modeled gross income of $141,183/yr (TY2026 tax assumptions; partial scenario excluding unverified local income tax). This profile draws on 13 federal datasets covering population, housing, income, employment, climate, and risk.
147,766 people live in Thornton as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025), the #190 largest U.S. city.
How big is Thornton?
Thornton covers 36.7 square miles of land and 2.0 square miles of water. Its population density is about 4,032 residents per square mile of land. Compare U.S. cities by land area →
Source detail: 2025 population
2025 population
Source agency
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division
Dataset
Census PEP
Vintage / period
Vintage 2025 (Jul 1, 2025)
Native geography
Census PEP subcounty place records for the included city universe.
Transformation
Copied from POPESTIMATE2025, joined by Census GEOID, and used for ranks, filters, and city pages.
Known limit: Annual estimate, not a decennial count; each new PEP vintage can revise the prior series.
Population grew 4.2% from the April 2020 base to mid-2025.
Vintage 2025 · annual estimates
Recent history (V2025 series, 2020 base → 2025).
2020 base: 141,869 → 2025: 147,766 (+4.2%)
Year
Population
Reference date
2020 base
141,869
April 1, 2020
2020
142,162
July 1, 2020
2021
142,827
July 1, 2021
2022
143,358
July 1, 2022
2023
145,933
July 1, 2023
2024
148,370
July 1, 2024
2025
147,766
July 1, 2025
Earlier history (2010–2019, prior Census vintage)
These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2019 release — a separate, earlier methodology. They’re shown here as historical context only; the 2010 and 2019 values aren’t directly comparable to the 2020–2025 series above.
Population grew 18.5% from the July 2010 estimate to 2019 (V2019 — see seam note below).
Thornton is the #190 largest of 19,483 U.S. cities and #6 in Colorado.
▸Show the analyst detail (9 rows)
Measure
Value
Note
2020 base
141,869
April 1, 2020 census base
5-yr change
+5,897
2020 base → 2025; within V2025
5-yr change %
+4.2%
within V2025 only
1-yr change
-604
2024 → 2025 estimate
1-yr change %
-0.4%
within V2025 only
Density
4,032
people per sq mi, land only
Land area
36.7
sq mi (2025 Gazetteer)
U.S. rank by population
#190
of 19,483 cities
State rank by population
#6
of 272 in Colorado
What is the median household income in Thornton?
Same-period U.S. benchmarks: household income $80,734 ± $166; per-capita income $44,673 ± $122. Margins are at 90% confidence. Comparison badges describe point estimates; they are not significance tests.
Median household income is 28% above the U.S. median ($103,088 vs $80,734); 7.0% live in poverty, 5.4 points below the 12.5% U.S. estimate.
Median household income$103,088
US
Thornton: $103,088 — 28% above the US median of $80,734.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS income data; censored rows retained in the distribution
Thornton
$103,088
United States
$80,734
Income and poverty estimates for Thornton from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates (window 2020–2024). Every figure is shown with its 90% margin of error (MOE). Cells where the ± margin exceeds half the estimate are flagged "low precision." See methodology §12.
Measure
Estimate
± margin / note
Median household income
$103,088+27.7% vs US
±$2,467
Per capita income
$43,571-2.5% vs US
±$1,498
Population in poverty
7.0% ± 1.2 percentage points
share of population for whom poverty status is determined
Median home value is 56% above the U.S. median ($517,500 vs $332,700); median rent is 34% above ($1,895 vs $1,413); the ratio of median home value to median household income is 5.0× versus 4.1× nationally; this compares two distributions and does not measure an individual household's housing burden.
Median home value$517,500
US
Thornton: $517,500 — 56% above the US median of $332,700.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS home-value data; censored rows retained in the distribution
HUD 2-BR fair-market rent$2,089/mo
US
Thornton: $2,089/mo — 94% above the US median of $1,077/mo.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with a HUD Fair Market Rent
Same-period U.S. benchmarks: home value $332,700 ± $236; gross rent $1,413 ± $2. Comparison badges describe estimates and do not establish statistical significance.
Poverty (Census SAIPE 2024, model-based), unemployment (BLS LAUS 2025 annual averages), and remote-work share (ACS 2020–2024) for Thornton. Numbers are labeled at their native grain — place-grain when BLS publishes it, otherwise per-county. We do not compute population-weighted county averages. See methodology §13.
Measure
Value
Grain
Unemployment rate (annual avg)
4.1%
Thornton (BLS sub-state LAUS)
Civilian labor force
83,997
2025 annual avg
Worked from home
15.3% ± 1.3 percentage points+1.5% vs US
share of workers 16+ working from home · U.S. share: 15.1% · ACS
County context — Thornton spans 2 counties; all are listed (no weighted average):
County
Poverty rate
Median HH income
Unemployment
Adams County
9.8%
$100,686
4.2%
Weld County
9.6%
$100,638
4.3%
Top industries by private employment — NAICS supersectors rolled up from Thornton's linked 2 counties in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW, 2025 annual averages). See methodology §11.
#
Industry (NAICS supersector)
Private employment
Avg weekly wage
#1
Construction (23)
40,291
$1,620 / wk
#2
Health care and social assistance (62)
36,323
$1,299 / wk
#3
Retail trade (44-45)
32,754
$897 / wk
#4
Transportation and warehousing (48-49)
31,020
$1,222 / wk
#5
Manufacturing (31-33)
28,856
$1,434 / wk
What workers earn in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro — top occupations by employment plus six curated benchmarks (registered nurse, software developer, elementary teacher, general manager, retail salesperson, truck driver). Wages are metro-area medians from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). See methodology §25.
Fast Food and Counter Workers is the largest tracked occupation in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro (42,810 jobs, median $37,070/yr).
▸Show all 13 occupations
Occupation
Employment
Median annual
Median hourly
Fast Food and Counter Workers
42,810
$37,070
$17.82
Stockers and Order Fillers
32,610
$44,480
$21.39
Business Operations Specialists, All Other
28,670
$94,990
$45.67
Home Health and Personal Care Aides
26,130
$38,900
$18.70
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel
24,480
$80,650
$38.77
Cashiers
23,860
$37,620
$18.09
Customer Service Representatives
23,560
$48,590
$23.36
Retail Salespersons · benchmark
40,340
$38,470
$18.50
Registered Nurses · benchmark
30,380
$101,130
$48.62
Software Developers · benchmark
27,010
$137,610
$66.16
General and Operations Managers · benchmark
22,940
$142,330
$68.43
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers · benchmark
14,320
$63,900
$30.72
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education · benchmark
12,030
$76,910
—
This city spans multiple metros; OEWS data shown is for Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO, the metro of the city's primary county.
All items run 5.8% above the U.S. average (RPP 105.8); rents run 46.9% above (RPP 146.9) — the metro's housing premium is the main driver.
Cost of living (RPP, all items)RPP 105.8
US
Thornton's cost of living runs 5.8% above the U.S. average (RPP 105.8 vs 100).
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of metro/non-metro areas with a BEA price parity
BEA Regional Price Parity (all items)
RPP 105.8
+5.8% vs U.S. average · BEA 2024 · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2-BR
$2,089/mo
FY2026 · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO MSA
State income tax (top marginal rate)
4.40%
flat · TY2026
Four-person monthly spending scenario
$11,765/mo
3BR rent + food + childcare + taxes + transport · federal sources; excludes unverified local income tax
One-person monthly spending scenario
$4,417/mo
1BR rent + food + taxes + transport · federal sources; excludes unverified local income tax
Local income tax
—
Unverified and excluded from the spending scenario; not a verified zero
Household budget figures are arithmetic floors using current federal sources at the grains documented in methodology. Not a recommended salary, not a poverty threshold, not a composite score.
14.0% ± 1.1 percentage points foreign-born (U.S. share 14.1%); Spanish is the most-spoken language at home other than English (19.7% of residents 5+).
A quick read on Thornton's residents — nativity and languages spoken at home shown above, from the ACS 5-Year 2020–2024. The full demographic breakdown (age, race and ethnicity, household types, and educational attainment, each with its margin of error) lives on the demographics page.
These are K-12 public school districts. Higher education (colleges and universities) is not represented in this dataset.
Public school districts serving Thornton, from the NCES EDGE Geographic Relationship Files (GRF25, 2024–25 school year boundaries). The join is many-to-many — large cities often span multiple districts, and one district often serves multiple cities. Sorted primary district first. See methodology §12 for the consolidated-city fallback and Milford CT special case.
Source: NCES EDGE GRF25 · school year 2024–25 · methodology →
What is the climate like in Thornton?
Hottest month: July (90°F avg high). Coldest: December (18°F avg low). Annual precipitation: 14.1 in.
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) for Thornton from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. See methodology §15 for the gridded vs. station source path.
Average monthly highs & lows · 30-year normal (NOAA 1991–2020). Every number on this chart is an average.
bar = avg daily high → avg daily lowprecip in inches below each barprecip in millimeters below each bar
Composite risk spans 89.2–91.2/100 across 2 counties; most-cited top hazard is Hail (in all 2).
Natural-hazard exposure for Thornton from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index (FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0). NRI is an expected-annual-loss composite calibrated on 1996–2019 historical losses, published at the U.S. county grain. See methodology §17.
Thornton spans 2 counties. We list each separately because hurricane, flood, and fire risk varies meaningfully across county lines — manufacturing a single “city-level” risk score would hide that signal.
County
NRI composite
Rating
Top hazards
Adams County
91.2
Relatively Moderate
Hail 99.7 Very High · Winter Weather 97.4 Very High · Cold Wave 97.2 Relatively High
Weld County
89.2
Relatively Moderate
Hail 99.0 Relatively High · Cold Wave 96.3 Relatively High · Tornado 95.1 Relatively High
Source: FEMA National Risk Index · FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0 · methodology →
How fast is home internet in Thornton?
16 non-satellite ISPs serve the area; 92% of locations have gigabit-capable service per ISP filings.
Fixed broadband availability for Thornton from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's Broadband Data Collection (BDC), as of December 31, 2025. Every speed and provider count below is an ISP-reported advertised maximum — not measured throughput. Actual delivered speeds typically run 60–80% of advertised. See methodology §16.
Measure
Value
Note
Providers serving this city
16 + satellite
distinct ISPs, excluding satellite-only
Fiber providers
13
offer fiber-to-the-premises somewhere in the BDC
Units with ≥100/20 Mbps fixed
100.0%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Locations with ≥100 Mbps upload
92.5%
derived: max(fiber ≥100/20, gigabit). Fiber is symmetric; gigabit is ≥100 up by definition
Units with ≥1 Gbps fixed
92.5%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Total broadband-serviceable units
56,027
residential locations in the FCC Fabric (not households)
Source: FCC BDC · as of December 31, 2025 · methodology →
How much crime is reported in Thornton?
In 2024, law enforcement reported 399 violent and 4,136 property offenses in the Thornton jurisdiction — a violent-crime rate of 273.6 per 100,000, below the U.S. estimate of 359.1.
Reported offenses known to law enforcement from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program (CIUS Table 8), 2024. Figures describe the FBI agency jurisdiction: Thornton — an FBI jurisdiction population of 145,847, versus the Census place population of 147,766. The rate per 100,000 is the FBI's own (count ÷ that jurisdiction population), never divided by the Census place figure. These are reported crimes under voluntary participation — not measured or victimization crime — and the FBI cautions against using them to rank or compare places. See methodology §31.
Offenses known, 2024
Count
Rate /100k
U.S. rate
Violent crime
399
273.6
359.1
Property crime
4,136
2,835.8
1,760.1
▸Offense breakdown and 3-year trend
Offense, 2024
Count
Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter
2
Rape
116
Robbery
72
Aggravated assault
209
Burglary
404
Larceny-theft
3,016
Motor vehicle theft
716
Arson (12-month reporters only)
29
Year
Violent /100k
Property /100k
Jurisdiction pop.
2022
285.2
3,482.6
143,055
2023
276.7
2,984.6
143,838
2024
273.6
2,835.8
145,847
Only years the agency reported a complete 12 months appear; the FBI does not estimate missing agency-years, so a gap is a non-reporting year, not zero crime.
U.S. rate is the FBI national estimate (imputes non-reporting agencies); the city figures are reported-only. Source: FBI UCR CIUS Table 8 (2022–2024) · FBI agency jurisdiction: Thornton · methodology → · FBI Crime Data Explorer →
In-state context.
Thornton sits at state rank #6 among 272 cities in Colorado. Nearby in the state ranking:
Just above in the profiled set: Waco, TX · #189 · 147,788 residents.
Just below in the profiled set: Midland, TX · #191 · 147,615 residents.
Quick travel facts for Thornton
Quick travel facts.
Elevation
5,195 ft · at city centroid, from USGS 3D Elevation Program
Nearest scheduled-service airport
Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport(BJC) · 9 mi 15 km from city centroid
Best months to visit
Oct · months when the avg high sits in 65–80°F and precipitation is at or below the city's median monthly precip
Sources: elevation from USGS 3DEP · nearest airport from OurAirports CSV (OurAirports type=large/medium and scheduled_service=yes; not an FAA service classification) · best months derived from NOAA 1991-2020 normals · methodology →
Frequently asked questions about Thornton.
How many people live in Thornton, CO?
Thornton has 147,766 residents as of July 1, 2025, making it the #190 largest city in the United States and #6 in Colorado. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025.
Is Thornton growing or shrinking?
Thornton has grown 4.2% since the April 2020 census baseline, adding 5,897 residents. The most recent year ticked down slightly (−604 residents, −0.4% from 2024 to 2025). Source: Census PEP Vintage 2025.
What was Thornton's population in the 2020 census?
Thornton spans Adams County, Weld County in Colorado.
How big is Thornton?
Thornton covers 36.7 square miles of land, with a population density of about 4,032 residents per square mile. Source: Census Gazetteer 2025.
What is the median household income in Thornton?
$103,088, about 28% above the U.S. median. Source: ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.
SourceU.S. Census · PEP
VintageV2025
Reference2025-07-01
Place typeIncorporated place
GEOID0877290
Last build2026-09-30
Sources · provenance
Every listed dataset is used on this page.
The GEOID for Thornton is 0877290. These are the official datasets used by this profile's main data modules; click "methodology" for inclusion rules and the V2019 ↔ V2025 seam, or "source" for the raw publisher page. The headline population value above includes a source-detail disclosure with publisher, dataset, vintage, native geography, transformation, and caveat.
