Thornton, CO Demographics

A map of Thornton's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	72,383	72,316	50.2%	51.0%
Hispanic	54,293	51,392	37.7%	36.2%
Asian	7,504	8,250	5.2%	5.8%
Multiracial	5,899	5,713	4.1%	4.0%
Black	2,923	2,660	2.0%	1.9%
Native American/Other	1,185	1,536	0.8%	1.1%

Thornton, Colorado has an estimated population of 144,187, a slight increase from the 141,867 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 50.2% White, 37.7% Hispanic, 5.2% Asian, 4.1% Multiracial, 2.0% Black, and 0.8% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Thornton, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Thornton is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably more diverse than Colorado overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Thornton, that probability was 60.4% in 2020 and 60.1% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Thornton is ranked the 6th most populous place in Colorado, out of 482 places. This ranking is based on the Census definition of a place, which includes incorporated places like cities, towns, and villages, as well as unincorporated census-designated places (CDPs). Thornton was ranked the 6th most populous place in the 2020 Census.

Thornton's White Population

72,383 residents of Thornton, or 50.2% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Thornton is considerably lower than in Colorado overall, where 64.8% of the population is White. Thornton ranks 414th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 482 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Thornton's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Thornton's population has decreased from 51.0% to 50.2%.

Thornton is more White than neighboring Northglenn (48.6% White), Welby (33.9% White), Derby (20.9% White), and Federal Heights (28.2% White). Thornton is less White than neighboring Todd Creek (73.2% White).

Thornton's Black Population

2,923 residents of Thornton, or 2.0% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Thornton is comparable to the share in Colorado overall, where 3.8% of the population is Black. Thornton ranks 49th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 482 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Thornton's Black population has grown by an estimated 9.9%. Black residents' share of Thornton's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.0%.

Thornton is more Black than neighboring Welby (1.6% Black), Derby (0.5% Black), Federal Heights (1.6% Black), and Todd Creek (0.1% Black). Thornton is less Black than neighboring Northglenn (2.9% Black).

Thornton's Asian Population

7,504 residents of Thornton, or 5.2% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Thornton is comparable to the share in Colorado overall, where 3.2% of the population is Asian. Thornton ranks 23rd statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 482 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Thornton's Asian population has declined by an estimated 9.0%. Asian residents' share of Thornton's population has decreased from 5.8% to 5.2%.

Thornton is more Asian than neighboring Northglenn (4.2% Asian), Welby (3.2% Asian), Derby (0.1% Asian), Federal Heights (2.7% Asian), and Todd Creek (2.2% Asian).

Thornton's Hispanic Population

54,293 residents of Thornton, or 37.7% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Thornton is significantly higher than in Colorado overall, where 22.5% of the population is Hispanic. Thornton ranks 76th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 482 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Thornton's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 5.6%. Hispanic residents' share of Thornton's population has increased from 36.2% to 37.7%.

Thornton is more Hispanic than neighboring Todd Creek (22.7% Hispanic). Thornton is less Hispanic than neighboring Northglenn (37.8% Hispanic), Welby (59.1% Hispanic), Derby (75.5% Hispanic), and Federal Heights (64.8% Hispanic).

Thornton's Native American/Other Population

1,185 residents of Thornton, or 0.8% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Thornton is comparable to the share in Colorado overall, where 1% of the population is Native American/Other. Thornton ranks 215th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 482 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Thornton's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 22.9%. Native American/Other residents' share of Thornton's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.8%.

Thornton is more Native American/Other than neighboring Welby (0.3% Native American/Other), and Todd Creek (0% Native American/Other). Thornton is less Native American/Other than neighboring Northglenn (1.1% Native American/Other), and Federal Heights (1.4% Native American/Other).

Thornton's Multiracial Population

5,899 residents of Thornton, or 4.1% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Thornton is comparable to the share in Colorado overall, where 4.6% of the population is Multiracial. Thornton ranks 251st statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 482 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Thornton's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 3.3%. Multiracial residents' share of Thornton's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.1%.

Thornton is more Multiracial than neighboring Welby (1.8% Multiracial), Derby (2.3% Multiracial), Federal Heights (1.4% Multiracial), and Todd Creek (1.7% Multiracial). Thornton is less Multiracial than neighboring Northglenn (5.5% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.