Lone Tree and Thornton receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Lone Tree
Thornton
Opportunity
63 · Top 36%
vs50 · Bottom 37%
Growth
41 · Bottom 33%
vs42 · Bottom 35%
Climate
62 · Bottom 23%
vs59 · Bottom 11%
Physical resilience
54 · Bottom 46%
vs69 · Top 38%
Housing affordability
60 · Bottom 20%
vs68 · Bottom 31%
Access
100 · Top 1%
vs100 · Top 1%
Economic stability
77 · Top 14%
vs78 · Top 10%
Measured values
| Metric | Lone Tree | Thornton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,147 | 144,187 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $123,741 | $103,088 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $80,752 | $43,571 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,442/sq mi | 3,948/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $874,100 | $517,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,139 | $1,895 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.5% | 71.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 4.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.9% | -2.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 71.2% | 32.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.9% | 7.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 184 | 371 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 13.0 | 2.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -73.4% | -12.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 15.0" | 15.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 3 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.7 min | 32.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.5 | 34.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 44 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.62 | 17.67 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 13.9% | 57.9% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Lone Tree
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire, tornado.
Thornton
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Lone Tree, CO · Thornton, CO · How this is calculated: methodology