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
Lakewood
Opportunity
50 · Bottom 37%
vs52 · Bottom 42%
Growth
42 · Bottom 35%
vs14 · Bottom 4%
Climate
59 · Bottom 11%
vs59 · Bottom 11%
Physical resilience
69 · Top 38%
vs31 · Bottom 25%
Housing affordability
68 · Bottom 31%
vs56 · Bottom 15%
Access
100 · Top 1%
vs97 · Top 23%
Economic stability
78 · Top 10%
vs69 · Top 32%
Measured values
| Metric | Thornton | Lakewood | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 144,187 | 156,583 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $103,088 | $89,792 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $43,571 | $53,749 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,948/sq mi | 3,601/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $517,500 | $574,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,895 | $1,806 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 71.4% | 58.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 3.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.8% | -2.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.8% | 45.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.0% | 9.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 371 | 23 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.6 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -12.7% | -82.3% | 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 | 15 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 32.3 min | 27.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.7 | 38.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 44 | 42 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.67 | 15.76 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 57.9% | 50.6% | 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.
Lakewood
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire, tornado.
Full profiles: Thornton, CO · Lakewood, CO · How this is calculated: methodology