Thornton, CO Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Cost Of Living In Thornton, CO Summary

Cost of living in Thornton research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Thornton is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.

On a city-by-city basis in Colorado, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:

  • The cost of living index in Thornton is 126, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Thornton is 1.3x higher than the national average.

  • Thornton ranks as the #54 cheapest in Colorado out of 113.

  • Thornton ranks as the #4,776 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Thornton is $500,350.

  • The median income in Thornton is $100,985.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
126
Thornton's Overall Cost Of Living
1.3x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Thornton, CO?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Thornton has an overall cost of living index of 126, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to Colorado, Thornton has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Colorado's index of 111.

The standard of living in Thornton ranks as #54 most affordable out of the 113 places we measured in Colorado. By definition, that implies Thornton ranks as the #59 most expensive place in the Centennial State.

For more reading on life in Thornton, check out:

54 out of 113
In Colorado
4,776 out of 6,489
In America

Thornton Cost Of Living Vs. Colorado

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Thornton. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Thornton is 103.

  • The Groceries index in Thornton is 96.

  • The Health index in Thornton is 87.

  • The Housing index in Thornton is 179.

  • The Transportation index in Thornton is 107.

  • The Utilities index in Thornton is 89.

Living Expense Thornton Colorado National Average
Overall 126 111 100
Services 103 102 100
Groceries 96 103 100
Health 87 101 100
Housing 179 134 100
Transportation 107 107 100
Utilities 89 89 100
For more reading on cost of living around Colorado, check out:
Thornton Cost of Living Vs. CO

Thornton, CO Housing Cost Breakdown

Housing swings affordability the most between places in Colorado, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Thornton is $500,350.

  • The Median Rent in Thornton is $1,810.

  • The Median Income in Thornton is $100,985.

  • The Home Value To Income in Thornton is 5.0x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Thornton is 0.22x.

Statistic Thornton Colorado United States
Median Home Value $500,350 $540,183 $303,400
Median Rent $1,810 $1,693 $1,348
Median Income $100,985 $92,470 $78,538
Home Value To Income 5.0x 5.8x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.22x 0.22x 0.21x
$500,350
Median Home Value
$1,810
Median Rent
$100,985
Median Income

Thornton, CO Costs By Category

Detailed Thornton Services Costs Vs. Colorado

Item Thornton Colorado
Shampoo $1.19 $1.28
Movie $11.09 $12.13
Bowling $22.22 $18
Haircut $25.33 $24.26
Beauty Salon $45.45 $45.56

Detailed Thornton Groceries Costs Vs. Colorado

Item Thornton Colorado
Ground Beef $5.56 $5.84
Fried Chicken $1.43 $1.57
Milk $4.89 $4.67
Potatoes $4.62 $4.93
Pizza $11.06 $12.09
Beer $11.34 $10.41
Toothpaste $4.12 $3.7

Detailed Thornton Health Costs Vs. Colorado

Item Thornton Colorado
Optometrist $110.45 $125.68
Doctor $188.89 $135.78
Dentist $107.78 $113.29

Detailed Thornton Transportation Costs Vs. Colorado

Item Thornton Colorado
Gasoline $3.58 $3.46
Tire Balancing $73.58 $59.92

Detailed Thornton Utilities Costs Vs. Colorado

Item Thornton Colorado
All Electricity $161.0 $193.99
Phone $195.56 $192.25

Thornton SnackAbility

8
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
8.5/10
Housing
9
Affordability
5
Diversity
9
Safety
5
Amenities
9.5
Education
7
Commute
5

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Thornton

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Thornton. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Denver, CO has a cost of living index of 134, 1.1x Thornton.

  • Westminster, CO has a cost of living index of 127, 1.0x Thornton.

  • Broomfield, CO has a cost of living index of 138, 1.1x Thornton.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Thornton
Denver, CO 713,734 134 1.1x
Westminster, CO 115,546 127 1.0x
Broomfield, CO 75,110 138 1.1x
Northglenn, CO 37,953 120 1.0x
Englewood, CO 33,774 127 1.0x
Sherrelwood, CO 19,368 117 0.9x
Firestone, CO 17,353 127 1.0x
Welby, CO 16,232 110 0.9x
Federal Heights, CO 14,160 93 0.7x
Berkley, CO 10,838 119 0.9x

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