Thornton, CO

Census Place

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2023 Population

142,878

0.761% 1-year growth

US Senator

Michael Bennet

Democratic Party

US Senator

John Hickenlooper

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

34.3

1.78% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

7.3%

8.35% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$100,985

6.23% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$482,200

8.31% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

77,643

1.23% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Thornton, CO had a population of 143k people with a median age of 34.3 and a median household income of $100,985. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Thornton, CO grew from 141,799 to 142,878, a 0.761% increase and its median household income grew from $95,064 to $100,985, a 6.23% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Thornton, CO are White (Non-Hispanic) (50.4%), Two+ (Hispanic) (15%), White (Hispanic) (13.1%), Other (Hispanic) (8.13%), and Asian (Non-Hispanic) (5.65%).

None of the households in Thornton, CO reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

90.8% of the residents in Thornton, CO are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Thornton, CO are Empire Beauty School-Thornton (36 degrees awarded in 2022).

In 2023, the median property value in Thornton, CO was $482,200, and the homeownership rate was 73.1%.

Most people in Thornton, CO drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 30.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Thornton, CO was 2 cars per household.

United States Colorado Adams County, CO Weld County, CO Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Greeley, CO Broomfield PUMA, CO South Weld PUMA, CO Thornton PUMA, CO Brighton PUMA, CO Commerce City PUMA, CO

Population & Diversity

Thornton, CO is home to a population of 143k people, from which 90.8% are citizens. As of 2023, 14.4% of Thornton, CO residents were born outside of the country (20.6k people).

In 2023, there were 3.36 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (72.1k people) in Thornton, CO than any other race or ethnicity. There were 21.5k Two+ (Hispanic) and 18.7k White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

90.8%

2023 Citizenship

91.1%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 90.8% of Thornton, CO residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Thornton, CO was 91.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Thornton, CO compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Thornton, CO

White (Non-Hispanic)
72.1k ± 2.18k
Two+ (Hispanic)
21.5k ± 2.23k
White (Hispanic)
18.7k ± 1.91k

37.4%

Hispanic Population

53.5k people

37.4% of the people in Thornton, CO are hispanic (53.5k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Thornton, CO as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Colorado.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
206,571 ± 10,957 people
India
22,427 ± 3,670 people
China
17,909 ± 3,280 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Colorado was Mexico, the natal country of 206,571 Colorado residents, followed by India with 22,427 and China with 17,909.

Foreign-Born Population

14.4%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

20.6k people

13.9%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

19.8k people

As of 2023, 14.4% of Thornton, CO residents (20.6k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Thornton, CO was 13.9%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Thornton, CO compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
2,002 ± 266
Gulf War (2001-)
1,799 ± 327
Gulf War (1990s)
1,425 ± 399

Thornton, CO has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.11 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Thornton, CO employs 77.6k people. The largest industries in Thornton, CO are Health Care & Social Assistance (9,133 people), Retail Trade (9,098 people), and Construction (8,077 people), and the highest paying industries are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($108,352), Utilities ($107,996), and Information ($87,242).

Males in Colorado have an average income that is 1.31 times higher than the average income of females, which is $67,859. The income inequality in Colorado (measured using the Gini index) is 0.464, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

77.6k

2023 Value

± 2,421

1.23%

1 Year growth

± 4.34%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Thornton, CO grew at a rate of 1.23%, from 76.7k employees to 77.6k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Thornton, CO, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (9,659 people), Management Occupations (9,128 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (7,238 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Thornton, CO.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Colorado (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

77.6k

2023 Value

± 2,421

1.23%

1 Year growth

± 4.34%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Thornton, CO grew at a rate of 1.23%, from 76.7k employees to 77.6k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Thornton, CO, are Health Care & Social Assistance (9,133 people), Retail Trade (9,098 people), and Construction (8,077 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Thornton, CO, though some of these residents may live in Thornton, CO and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$60,796

Median earning men ± $1,719

$44,997

Median earning women ± $2,824

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Information ($88,750), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($82,786), and Public Administration ($82,152).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($108,324), Information ($80,469), and Public Administration ($63,125).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Colorado.

Y-Axis

1.73%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.87M people employed in Colorado. This represents a 1.73% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 11.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Colorado.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Colorado went to Kamala Harris with 54.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (43.1%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.12%).

Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper are the senators currently representing the state of Colorado. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Colorado is currently represented by 8 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Thornton, CO. Showing the available data for Colorado.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (54.1%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (43.1%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (1.12%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Colorado went to Kamala Harris with 54.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (43.1%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.12%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Colorado for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Colorado

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Colorado.

Michael Bennet

Senator from Colorado

Assumed office on January 21, 2009
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Ken Salazar, who had become Secretary of the Interior.

John Hickenlooper

Senator from Colorado

Assumed office on January 3, 2021

Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper are the senators currently representing Colorado.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Colorado over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Colorado

Colorado is currently represented by 8 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Colorado have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Thornton, CO awarded 36 degrees. The student population of Thornton, CO in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 1 male students and 80 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Thornton, CO are Hispanic or Latino (17 and 47.2%), followed by White (10 and 27.8%), Unknown (4 and 11.1%), and Two or More Races (3 and 8.33%).

The largest universities in Thornton, CO by number of degrees awarded are Empire Beauty School-Thornton (36 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Thornton, CO are General Cosmetology (36 and 100%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2022 there were 81 students enrolled in Thornton, CO, 1.23% men and 98.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 32 records, of which 100% were women and 0% men.

Completions

Concentrations

General Cosmetology

Most Common

36 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate recipients in Thornton, CO was General Cosmetology with 36 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate from schools in Thornton, CO according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Empire Beauty School-Thornton

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

36 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Empire Beauty School-Thornton with 36 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2022, 2 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Thornton, CO, which is 0.0588 times less than the 34 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 17 degrees mean that there were 1.7 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 10 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Colorado.

Measure

In 2022, 0.886% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.84% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Colorado.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were Bachelors Degree (1.16M), Some college (997k), and High School or Equivalent (997k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Thornton, CO was $482,200 in 2023, which is 1.59 times larger than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $445,200 to $482,200, a 8.31% increase. The homeownership rate in Thornton, CO is 73.1%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Thornton, CO have an average commute time of 30.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Thornton, CO is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Thornton, CO is $100,985. In 2023, the place with the highest median household income in Thornton, CO was Census Tract 85.51 with a value of $177,577, followed by Census Tract 612 and Census Tract 85.24, with respective values of $155,583 and $137,388.

Housing

Property

$482,200

Median Property Value 2023

±$7,305

$36,259

Median Property Taxes

±$1,436

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Thornton, CO the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Thornton, CO compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

73.1%

Homeownership

2023

71.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 73.1% of the housing units in Thornton, CO were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 72.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Thornton, CO compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 85.51
Census Tract 612
Census Tract 85.24

In 2023, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Thornton, CO was Census Tract 85.51 with a value of $177,577, followed by Census Tract 612 and Census Tract 85.24, with respective values of $155,583 and $137,388.

The following map shows all of the places in Thornton, CO colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$100,985

Median Household Income

± $3,008

49.6k

Number of Households

± 1,879

In 2023, the median household income of the 49.6k households in Thornton, CO grew to $100,985 from the previous year's value of $95,064.

The following chart displays the households in Thornton, CO distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Thornton, CO is from Colorado.

0.464

2022 Wage GINI in Colorado

0.465

2021 Wage GINI in Colorado

In 2022, the income inequality in Colorado was 0.464 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.265% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Colorado was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Colorado in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Colorado across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (72.5%)
Worked At Home (13.8%)
Carpooled (9.88%)

In 2023, 72.5% of workers in Thornton, CO drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (13.8%) and those who carpooled to work (9.88%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

30.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Thornton, CO have a longer commute time (30.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.92% of the workforce in Thornton, CO have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Thornton, CO compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Thornton, CO distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Thornton, CO have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

7.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Thornton, CO (10.3k out of 142k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Thornton, CO is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

90.5% of the population of Thornton, CO has health coverage, with 55.2% on employee plans, 16.6% on Medicaid, 7.98% on Medicare, 9.95% on non-group plans, and 0.88% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Adams County, CO see 2148 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.892% increase from the previous year (2129 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1479 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 259 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Adams County, CO.

2,148 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Adams County, CO

Primary care physicians in Adams County, CO see an average of 2,148 patients per year. This represents a 0.892% increase from the previous year (2,129 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Adams County, CO in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 26.9% under 18 years, 24.4% between 18 and 34 years, 38.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 10.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.8% were men and 50.2% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

9.47%

Uninsured

55.2%

Employer Coverage

16.6%

Medicaid

7.98%

Medicare

9.95%

Non-Group

0.88%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Thornton, CO grew by 5.17% from 9% to 9.47%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Thornton, CO changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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