Housing data for Thornton, CO

Thornton, CO has an estimated 144,187 residents and 52,250 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).

It is a city in Adams County.

28.6% of households rent.

The median gross rent is $1,895 a month.

Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+5.3%).

Figures last updated on .

Residents
144,187 (±118)
Housing units
52,250 (±961)
Households that rent
28.6%
Median gross rent
$1,895
Residents since 2015–2019
+5.3%

What stands out in Thornton

Homes built before 1980: 21.9% (±1.6 points) in Thornton, lower than in Adams County (36.6%).

Households without a vehicle: 3.0% (±0.6 points) in Thornton, lower than in Adams County (4.7%).

Housing in Thornton at a glance

Thornton against Adams County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
ThorntonAdams CountyColoradoUnited States
Residents144,187 (±118)530,225 (exact)5,862,189 (exact)334,922,499
Housing units52,250 (±961)195,793 (±113)2,589,053 (±653)143,775,355
Households that rent28.6% (±1.6 points)31.4% (±0.8 points)33.8% (±0.3 points)34.8%
Median gross rent$1,895 (±$43)$1,781 (±$21)$1,761 (±$7)$1,413
Median household income$103,088 (±$2,467)$94,571 (±$1,524)$95,470 (±$578)$80,734
Median home value$517,500 (±$11,205)$484,200 (±$3,903)$539,400 (±$2,069)$332,700
Median real estate taxes (a year)$2,911 (±$71)$2,962 (±$40)$2,602 (±$10)$3,119
Built before 198021.9% (±1.6 points)36.6% (±1.1 points)39.7% (±0.3 points)49.7%
Average commute30.4 minutes (±0.9)29.8 minutes (±0.6)25.2 minutes (±0.1)26.4 minutes
Households with broadband96.5% (±0.8 points)92.9% (±0.6 points)93.5% (±0.1 points)91.0%
Median age of residents34.7 years (±0.7)34.8 years (±0.1)37.7 years (±0.1)38.9 years

Thornton covers 36.5 square miles of land, about 3,948 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).

How Thornton has changed since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
2015–20192020–2024Amount of changeVerdict
Residents136,868 (±68)144,187 (±118)+5.3%Measurable increase
Housing units47,382 (±646)52,250 (±961)+10.3%Measurable increase
Median gross rent$1,495 (±$34)$1,895 (±$43)+26.8%Up after inflation
Median home value$322,200 (±$3,944)$517,500 (±$11,205)+60.6%Up after inflation
Median household income$79,411 (±$1,623)$103,088 (±$2,467)+29.8%Up after inflation
Median owner cost with a mortgage$1,748 (±$27)$2,381 (±$45)+36.2%Up after inflation
Median real estate taxes$1,973 (±$39)$2,911 (±$71)+47.5%Up after inflation
Households that rent27.2% (±1.1 points)28.6% (±1.6 points)+1.4 percentage pointsNot a measurable change
Rental vacancy rate5.2% (±1.7 points)4.5% (±1.8 points)−0.7 percentage pointsNot a measurable change

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Crime reported to police in Thornton

In 2025, the Thornton Police Department reported 252 violent and 2,286 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.

ZIP codes in Thornton

ZIP Code Tabulation Areas that cover this place (2020–2024 estimates)
ZIP codeShare of the ZIP’s land in this placeResidentsMedian gross rentMedian home valueMedian household income
8024197%34,082$2,202$542,100$110,218
8022955%55,092$1,769$417,500$84,203
8023350%48,441$1,875$465,400$88,880
8026044%34,677$1,642$223,200$61,852
8060241%44,783$2,467$667,000$151,737
8002314%27,143$2,124$869,000$158,180

A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.

Places near Thornton

Nearest places with Census figures, by straight-line distance
PlaceDistanceMedian gross rentMedian home valueHouseholds that rent
Northglenn2.2 mi$1,775$462,10039.4%
Federal Heights5.5 mi$1,687$95,30040.7%
Todd Creek5.6 mi—$897,2001.8%
Derby5.7 mi$1,689$353,00029.1%
Welby5.7 mi$1,656$385,00027.5%
Broomfield6.2 mi$2,126$664,50037.3%
Sherrelwood6.5 mi$1,702$432,20028.3%
Shaw Heights6.8 mi$2,125$482,80017.9%

Places in Colorado most like Thornton

PlaceMedian gross rentMedian home valueMedian household incomeHouseholds that rent
Brighton$1,779$499,500$107,67928.5%
Woodland Park$2,007$549,200$99,23823.5%
Johnstown$1,835$540,300$128,99522.1%
Commerce City$1,880$499,700$111,97222.8%
Monument$1,929$636,700$128,81623.9%
Windsor$1,793$604,000$127,02822.4%

Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Colorado.

HUD Fair Market Rent for Thornton, fiscal year 2027

Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO MSA, dollars a month
Studio1 bedroom2 bedrooms3 bedrooms4 bedrooms
$1,751$1,831$2,169$2,846$3,183

HUD income limits for Thornton, fiscal year 2026

Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO MSA, annual household income
Household sizeExtremely low (30%)Very low (50%)Low (80%)
1 person$30,250$50,400$74,800
2 people$34,600$57,600$85,450
3 people$38,900$64,800$96,150
4 people$43,200$72,000$106,800
5 people$46,700$77,800$115,350
6 people$50,150$83,550$123,900
7 people$53,600$89,300$132,450
8 people$57,050$95,050$141,000

These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $144,000.

A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Thornton

What is the average rent in Thornton, CO?

The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Thornton is $1,895 (±$43) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.

How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Thornton?

The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Thornton, CO is $1,681 (±$52) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Are renters in Thornton rent-burdened?

58.8% of renting households in Thornton pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

How many renters are there in Thornton?

Thornton has an estimated 14,457 (±842) renting households, 28.6% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

What is the median household income in Thornton?

The median household income in Thornton is $103,088 (±$2,467) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

What is the average home value in Thornton, CO?

The Census Bureau publishes the median: $517,500 (±$11,205) for owner-occupied homes in Thornton (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Is Thornton growing?

In Thornton, the number of residents went from 136,868 in 2015–2019 to 144,187 in 2020–2024 (+5.3%), a measurable increase.

What ZIP codes are in Thornton?

The ZIP codes that cover Thornton are 80241, 80229, 80233, 80260, 80602, 80023.

What is the median rent in ZIP code 80241?

The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 80241 is $2,202 (±$118) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Thornton city, Colorado (place:77290, in state:08).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.

Figures last updated on .

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