Thornton, CO Cost Of Living

The latest cost of living statistics for Thornton. Includes statistics on rent, mortgages, healthcare, and other costs for Thornton compared to the state and national averages.

Cost of living in Thornton, Colorado

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:

128 Cost of living index 1.3x higher vs US
#49 Cheapest in Colorado (of 111)
#4,849 Cheapest in the U.S. (of 6,489)
$502,944 Median home value
$1,895 Median rent
$103,088 Median income
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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 128, 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 114.

The standard of living in Thornton ranks as #49 most affordable out of the 111 places we measured in Colorado. By definition, that implies Thornton ranks as the #62 most expensive place in the Centennial State.

For more reading on life in Thornton, check out:

Thornton Cost Of Living Vs. Colorado

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

  • The Services index in Thornton is 105.

  • The Groceries index in Thornton is 108.

  • The Health index in Thornton is 179.

  • The Housing index in Thornton is 109.

  • The Transportation index in Thornton is 110.

  • The Utilities index in Thornton is 113.

Living Expense Thornton Colorado National Average
Overall 128 114 100
Services 105 104 100
Groceries 108 107 100
Health 179 135 100
Housing 109 104 100
Transportation 110 107 100
Utilities 113 107 100

Thornton Cost Of Living Compared To Colorado Averages

Services
Thornton 105
Colorado avg 104
Groceries
Thornton 108
Colorado avg 107
Health
Thornton 179
Colorado avg 135
Housing
Thornton 109
Colorado avg 104
Transportation
Thornton 110
Colorado avg 107
Utilities
Thornton 113
Colorado avg 107

Index where 100 = national average. Source: cost-of-living index 2026.

For more reading on cost of living around Colorado, check out:

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Source: Cost-of-living index 2026, normalized to US average = 100

Thornton, CO Housing Cost Breakdown

$502,944Median Home Value
$1,895Median Rent
$103,088Median Income

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 2020-2024. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Thornton is $502,944.

  • The Median Rent in Thornton is $1,895.

  • The Median Income in Thornton is $103,088.

  • The Home Value To Income in Thornton is 4.9x.

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

Statistic Thornton Colorado United States
Median Home Value $502,944 $541,842 $332,700
Median Rent $1,895 $1,761 $1,413
Median Income $103,088 $95,470 $80,734
Home Value To Income 4.9x 5.7x 4.1x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.22x 0.22x 0.21x

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

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

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 142, 1.1x Thornton.

  • Westminster, CO has a cost of living index of 132, 1.0x Thornton.

  • Broomfield, CO has a cost of living index of 141, 1.1x Thornton.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Thornton
Denver, CO 718,877 142 1.1x
Westminster, CO 115,484 132 1.0x
Broomfield, CO 76,304 141 1.1x
Northglenn, CO 38,014 126 1.0x
Englewood, CO 34,129 130 1.0x
Sherrelwood, CO 18,692 123 1.0x
Firestone, CO 18,049 133 1.0x
Welby, CO 16,197 116 0.9x
Federal Heights, CO 14,125 94 0.7x
Berkley, CO 10,789 125 1.0x