Population 635 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Thornton
Household size in Thornton
| Period | Thornton | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.26 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.23 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.17 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.45 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.19 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Thornton has 2.45 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. Iowa as a whole looks much the same. Household size has climbed from 2.26 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Thornton
| Period | Thornton | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 47.2 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 51.9 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.6 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 35.7 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −11.5 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
Thornton is young: half of its residents are under 35.7, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Thornton
| Period | Thornton | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.7% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.0% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.3% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.6% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.9 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in eight households in Thornton (12.6%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in Iowa overall (10.0%).
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Thornton
Renters in Thornton
| Period | Thornton | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.1% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.1% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.5% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 16.4% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | −5.7 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Thornton is largely a place of homeowners: only 16.4% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 43.0% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Thornton
| Period | Thornton | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.0% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.1% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.2% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.3% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +8.4 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
More homes sit empty in Thornton than nationally: 13.3%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Thornton
| Period | Thornton | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1946 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1945 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1950 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1940 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | −6 | +6 | +6 |
Thornton is a place of older homes: half were built before 1940, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Thornton
| Period | Thornton | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $557 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $585 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $558 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $704 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$147 | +$351 | +$606 |
The median renter in Thornton pays $704 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 19.0% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Thornton
Bachelor's degrees in Thornton
| Period | Thornton | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.8% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.6% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.8% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.5% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Thornton have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 16.5%, against 35.6% nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Thornton
| Period | Thornton | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.6% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.2% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.9% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.2% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | −1.5 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Thornton is close to the national rate: 89.2% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in Iowa as a whole (93.0%).
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Thornton
| Period | Thornton | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.8% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.6% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.1% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.6% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Thornton has been strong: just 1.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Thornton compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thornton | 2.45 | 35.7 | 12.6% | 16.4% | 13.3% | 1940 | $704 | 16.5% | 89.2% | 1.6% |
| Swaledale | 2.40 | 49.9 | 4.7% | 14.4% | 22.6% | 1954 | $1,004 | 27.2% | 94.9% | 6.3% |
| Meservey | 2.45 | 38.3 | 12.6% | 15.8% | 14.0% | 1943 | $695 | 17.1% | 90.1% | 1.0% |
| Sheffield | 2.13 | 47.4 | 8.0% | 24.4% | 8.6% | 1956 | $715 | 18.8% | 94.8% | 3.3% |
| Alexander | 2.72 | 40.7 | 8.2% | 21.6% | 12.7% | 1945 | $650 | 28.8% | 90.9% | 1.5% |
| Rockwell | 2.38 | 44.0 | 9.2% | 22.1% | 8.3% | 1969 | $614 | 21.4% | 97.3% | 1.7% |
| Klemme | 2.63 | 43.8 | 7.7% | 12.3% | 8.9% | 1947 | $666 | 11.4% | 90.6% | 0.5% |
| Chapin | 2.06 | 54.1 | 20.4% | 12.4% | 7.0% | 1940 | $728 | 27.6% | 98.0% | 0.1% |
| Latimer | 2.80 | 34.4 | 4.6% | 34.4% | 13.2% | 1954 | $926 | 24.5% | 86.2% | 1.0% |
| Goodell | 2.57 | 46.6 | 8.5% | 12.0% | 11.2% | 1952 | $652 | 12.5% | 92.1% | 0.4% |
| Belmond | 2.50 | 40.1 | 16.8% | 17.9% | 11.1% | 1967 | $799 | 29.2% | 95.3% | 3.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Velvet Ridge, AR · Wetmore, KS · West Waldoboro, ME · Webster Lake, NH · Waynesburg, IN · Wallingford, IA · Vienna, LA · Vesuvius, VA · Vesta, MN · Vermont, IN
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Thornton. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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