custom hero photo

Data & Demographics

Data & Demographics

Demographic Overview

With over 145,000 people, Thornton is the 6th largest city in Colorado. Thornton plans to grow to approximately 250,000 people and is well-prepared for this future growth, having invested hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure in the city, including a water project that will provide Thornton with all the water it needs for future growth.



The city of Thornton is located primarily on the east side of I-25 between 84th Avenue and Highway 7. With over 1,400 acres of developable commercial land along the I-25 corridor, Thornton offers plentiful opportunities for commercial development and is easily accessible with its eight (8) interchanges along I-25, three (3) along E-470, and close proximity to I-70, US 36, and Denver International Airport (20 minutes). Thornton is located just 10 miles north of downtown Denver and within 1 hour of the Rocky Mountains’ world-class outdoor recreation. The city is also located along the North Line of the FasTrack’s transit network and has 3 stations here.

Thornton is seeing incredible commercial activity in all industry sectors. Some exciting new retail establishments have recently opened, such as In-N-Out Burger and Raising Cane’s. We have more on the way with a new King Soopers Marketplace and I.C. Brewhouse. On the employment side, new operations such as Meati Foods, Sashco, and Air Squared have relocated to Thornton. In addition, we have close to 3 million square feet of employment space being constructed in the city to house future employers. Development activity in Thornton is at an all-time high!

There are nine (9) major universities and colleges located within a 45-mile radius of the community, as well as numerous smaller institutions of higher learning. In addition, Thornton businesses have access to a metro Denver workforce exceeding 2 million.

Thornton Statistics and Demographics

  • 36 Square Miles
  • Population: 146,305
  • Avg HH Income: $115,528
  • Median Age: 34.5
  • Total HH: 50,703
  • Avg Home Value: $481,827

Source: ESRI Business Analyst – 2021