What it's like to live in Thornton
Thornton is a mid-size city in Colorado with household incomes running above the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Thornton deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
How Thornton compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Thornton
Based on Thornton's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,790
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $75,800 a year
- 56% of Thornton renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$103,500
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $51,750
- Homes cost 5.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 34% above US
$1,895/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,895 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are steep, with a median around $517,500. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $517,500 · 56% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.1% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.1%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 24% below US
251 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 2285/100k · Thornton Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 17% above US
30 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 30.4 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 15% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 88°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 19°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
33% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 33% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
39 public schools inside the boundary
There are 39 public schools inside the boundary and 6 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Rocky Mountain National Park (50 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Thornton's strongest point is household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,895/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (15% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Thornton
All Colorado guides →Moving to Federal Heights →
5 mi away · pop. 14,125
Rent $1,687/mo · Income $56,597
Compare with Thornton →Moving to Broomfield →
6 mi away · pop. 76,304
Rent $2,126/mo · Income $123,874
Compare with Thornton →Not sure Thornton is the one?
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