Arvada vs Thornton
Arvada, Colorado versus Thornton, Colorado: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Arvada and Thornton score about the same overall (45 vs 43 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Arvada | Thornton |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $106k | $95k |
| Cost of Living | $70k | $70k |
| Home Value | $553k | $445k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.50% | 0.59% |
| Income Tax | 4.40% | 4.40% |
| Sales Tax | 7.81% | 7.81% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.56% | 9.74% |
| Unemployment | 3.8% | 4.6% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 29°F | 32°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 68°F | 75°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 17.9 in | 16.7 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 62.5 in | 44.8 in |
| Sunny Days | 217 days | 210 days |
| Summer Humidity | 48°F | 49°F |
| Comfortable Days | 31 days | 43 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 52.6 | 22.7 |
| Air Quality | 50 AQI | 48 AQI |
| School Quality | 56.1 | 49.6 |
| Violent Crime | 635/100k | 1372/100k |
| Property Crime | 3050/100k | 3496/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 123,066 | 141,799 |
| Median Age | 40.2 | 33.7 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.28 | 0.51 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 1.01 |
| Political Leaning | D+28 | D+28 |
| White (%) | 77.9% | 51.1% |
| Black (%) | 0.8% | 2.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 15.2% | 37.3% |
| Asian (%) | 2.3% | 5.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.8% | 4.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 27 min | 31 min |
| Walkability | 8.1/20 | 12.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 27 mi | 15 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 94.1% | 95.1% |
| Amenities Nearby | 15.68 | 30.89 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Arvada or Thornton more affordable?
- Thornton has the lower cost of living: its index is $70k, compared with Arvada's $70k and Thornton's $70k. Median rent is $2k in Arvada versus $2k in Thornton.
- Is Arvada or Thornton safer?
- Arvada has the lower violent crime rate. Arvada reports 635/100k and Thornton reports 1372/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Arvada or Thornton?
- The median home value is $553k in Arvada and $445k in Thornton, so homes are more affordable in Thornton.