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
Aurora
Opportunity
50 · Bottom 37%
vs47 · Bottom 31%
Growth
42 · Bottom 35%
vs57 · Top 37%
Climate
59 · Bottom 11%
vs59 · Bottom 11%
Physical resilience
69 · Top 38%
vs55 · Bottom 46%
Housing affordability
68 · Bottom 31%
vs60 · Bottom 20%
Access
100 · Top 1%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
78 · Top 10%
vs67 · Top 36%
Measured values
| Metric | Thornton | Aurora | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 144,187 | 394,432 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $103,088 | $88,368 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $43,571 | $42,105 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,948/sq mi | 2,404/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $517,500 | $469,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,895 | $1,835 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 71.4% | 62.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.8% | -2.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.8% | 33.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.0% | 11.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 371 | 1,833 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.6 | 4.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -12.7% | 45.2% | 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 | 11 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 32.3 min | 30.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.7 | 35.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 44 | 89 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.67 | 17.36 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 57.9% | 65.3% | 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.
Aurora
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Full profiles: Thornton, CO · Aurora, CO · How this is calculated: methodology