Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For a city of 147,766, Thornton does unevenly: it grades B−, 102nd of 158 graded towns in Colorado. The median household earns $103K and residents are healthier than 79% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The trade-offs: its police reported 360 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 82% of U.S. towns, and homes are expensive, about $489K for a typical one and 4.6 times the Denver metro’s $106K median household income. Only 3 of Colorado’s 146 towns score lower on civic life. Thornton has 1 place on the National Register. Thornton’s average trip to work is 30 minutes, against 25 minutes in Colorado’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns.
Where Thornton beats most towns.
118,772 counted in 2010 and 141,867 in 2020; an estimated 147,766 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Colorado), ordered by how far Thornton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 11,353 in 1960, 141,867 in 2020. The archive holds 17 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 6 maps from 1938 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Thornton. Close and well known come first.
Big draw13 mi Stadium & arenaEmpower Field at Mile High
Big draw23 mi TheatreRed Rocks Amphitheatre
12 mi Stadium & arenaBall Arena
12 mi Stadium & arenaCoors Field
8 mi Stadium & arenaDick's Sporting Goods Park
12 mi Theme parkElitch Gardens Theme ParkEmpower Field at Mile High: Thelastcanadian, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Red Rocks Amphitheatre: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ball Arena: KM Newnham, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Coors Field: Matt Kozlowski, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Dick's Sporting Goods Park: Tom Pratt, CC BY 2.0 · Elitch Gardens Theme Park: USGS, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Thornton, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Thornton.
Thornton fares better on crime within Colorado than nationally, has home values still below their peak and is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in Colorado.
At 37.4 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 63% of Colorado’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 4,691 to 3,683 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Thornton’s property crime rate is 22.5 per 1,000 residents. Thornton reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 82% report less.
| Thornton | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 22.5 per 1,000 residents | 15.2 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.4 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Adams 12 Five Star Schools. Three of its 42 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Top Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,052 | A− |
| Horizon High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,966 | A− |
| Stargate Charter SchoolTop results in townGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 1,572 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CO on state tests and graduation
Within Colorado it is less healthy than 61% of the 159 graded towns: Colorado sets a high bar.
70% of adults had a checkup this year in Thornton. Thornton beats the Colorado average on 4 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 15% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Thornton.
| Thornton | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 71% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 10% | 8.1% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 27% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 26% | 35% |
| What stands out | Thornton | CO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.3% | 7.8% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.3% | 5.1% |
| More uninsured adults | 15.2% | 11.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Jobs based here grew from 20,044 in 2013 to 36,696.
Most working residents leave Thornton for work: only 10% work in town. Jobs based in Thornton grew to 36,696 in 2023, 16,652 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Denver (24%), Westminster (6%) and Aurora (6%).
| Thornton | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $103,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 15% | 18% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 7% | 8.5% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.8% | 7.5% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
38 miles of trail in 82 parks and preserves. The trail density in Thornton is 1.0 miles per square mile. Pelican Ponds Open Space, at 194 acres with 1.7 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Niver Creek Open Space | 1.9 mi | 64 |
| 2. Pelican Ponds Open Space | 1.7 mi | 194 |
| 3. Aylor Open Space | 0.8 mi | 138 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Thornton has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 90°, January nights drop to 18° and about 74 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 64% of U.S. communities. Since 1981, 7 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Thornton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical value, about $489K, is 9% below its July 2022 peak.
The typical Thornton home is worth about $489,000, down 2.1% in a year, 8% below the Colorado typical home. 59% of Thornton renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent.
| Thornton | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,895 a month | $1,807 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 59% | 53% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
10 within 15 miles of the center of Thornton
About 5 of every 100 Thornton residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Colorado.
Where Thornton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
6 notable people were born in Thornton.
Home rule city in Adams and Weld counties, Colorado, United States
Thornton is a home rule city located in Adams and Weld counties, Colorado, United States. The city population was 141,867, all in Adams County, at the 2020 United States census, an increase of 19.44% since the 2010 United States census. Thornton is the sixth-most-populous city in Colorado and the 191st-most-populous city in the United States. Thornton is 10 miles (16 km) north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver and is a part of the Denver-Aurora-Greeley, CO Combined Statistical Area and the Front Range Urban Corridor.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
8 towns share a border with Thornton.
| Town | CO rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thornton | #102 | B− | C− | C− | B+ | A− |
| Northglenn | #109 | C+ | C− | D | B+ | B+ |
| Todd Creek | #78 | B | C− | — | B− | A+ |
| Welby | #106 | C+ | C+ | — | B | C+ |
| Commerce City | #139 | C− | D | D | C+ | B |
| Sherrelwood | #126 | C | C | — | D | B |
| Broomfield | #45 | A− | C− | C+ | A− | A+ |
| Federal Heights | #95 | B− | B+ | — | B+ | C− |
Todd Creek, Welby, Sherrelwood and Federal Heights report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Thornton with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Thornton grades B− overall, better than 50% of U.S. towns and #102 of 158 in Colorado. It grades A− for health, C− for safety and B+ for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a C−.
6 notable people were born here, including Nikki Marshall and Josh Bredl.
