Thornton receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Thornton
Arvada
Opportunity
50 · Bottom 37%
vs57 · Top 49%
Growth
42 · Bottom 35%
vs37 · Bottom 28%
Climate
59 · Bottom 11%
vs59 · Bottom 11%
Physical resilience
69 · Top 38%
vs32 · Bottom 25%
Housing affordability
68 · Bottom 31%
vs72 · Bottom 37%
Access
100 · Top 1%
vs100 · Top 1%
Economic stability
78 · Top 10%
vs77 · Top 12%
Measured values
| Metric | Thornton | Arvada | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 144,187 | 122,634 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $103,088 | $117,348 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $43,571 | $59,662 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,948/sq mi | 3,145/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $517,500 | $632,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,895 | $1,888 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 71.4% | 75.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.8% | -2.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.8% | 51.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.0% | 5.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 371 | 293 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.6 | 2.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -12.7% | 11.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 18°F | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 15.4" | 15.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 9 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 32.3 min | 27.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.7 | 40.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 44 | 29 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.67 | 17.67 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 57.9% | 32.1% | 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
Thornton
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Arvada
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire, tornado.
Full profiles: Thornton, CO · Arvada, CO · How this is calculated: methodology