Thornton receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Wheat Ridge
Thornton
Opportunity
50 · Bottom 38%
vs50 · Bottom 37%
Growth
44 · Bottom 38%
vs42 · Bottom 35%
Climate
59 · Bottom 11%
vs59 · Bottom 11%
Physical resilience
32 · Bottom 25%
vs69 · Top 38%
Housing affordability
60 · Bottom 21%
vs68 · Bottom 31%
Access
100 · Top 1%
vs100 · Top 1%
Economic stability
67 · Top 35%
vs78 · Top 10%
Measured values
| Metric | Wheat Ridge | Thornton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,070 | 144,187 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $90,564 | $103,088 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $60,248 | $43,571 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,432/sq mi | 3,948/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $623,000 | $517,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,579 | $1,895 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.4% | 71.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 4.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.9% | -2.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47.8% | 32.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 11.2% | 7.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 163 | 371 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.1 | 2.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 24.4% | -12.7% | 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 | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.4 min | 32.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.9 | 34.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 44 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.04 | 17.67 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 42.3% | 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
Wheat Ridge
Elevated or high exposure: hail, wildfire, tornado.
Thornton
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Wheat Ridge
59
Your Score
52
Area Score
Thornton
67
Your Score
61
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Wheat Ridge, CO · Thornton, CO · How this is calculated: methodology