Population 856 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Thornton
Household size in Thornton
| Period | Thornton | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.66 | 2.63 | 2.58 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.56 | 2.63 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.52 | 2.58 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.70 | 2.57 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.03 | −0.07 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
At 2.70 people per household, Thornton sits close to the national average of 2.65. The typical household here is bigger than in the Detroit area as a whole, where it has 2.57 people.
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 | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.5 | 39.0 | 38.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.6 | 40.1 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.4 | 40.9 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.4 | 41.0 | 41.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | −5.1 | +2.1 | +2.4 | +2.3 |
Thornton is a little younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 38.4, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 43.5, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.8% | 12.1% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.8% | 12.3% | 11.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.7% | 11.3% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.3% | 11.2% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +7.5 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit more common in Thornton than nationally: 13.3%, against 11.6%.
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 | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.1% | 26.7% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.5% | 30.2% | 28.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 7.2% | 31.0% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 13.1% | 28.8% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.0 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Thornton is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 13.1% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Just over a third of owners (35.1%) have paid off their mortgages, below 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 | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 11.3% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.1% | 11.2% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 10.0% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.6% | 8.3% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −3.1 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 5.6% of homes in Thornton are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing.
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 | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1979 | 1968 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1981 | 1969 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1969 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1970 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +2 | +3 | +6 |
Homes in Thornton are the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1980. Homes here are newer than in the Detroit area overall, where the median home dates to 1970.
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 | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $743 | $952 | $833 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $804 | $1,005 | $886 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $870 | $1,123 | $978 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $993 | $1,373 | $1,228 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$250 | +$421 | +$395 | +$606 |
Rent in Thornton runs $993 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 35.5% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.0% | 27.8% | 26.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.1% | 28.8% | 27.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.9% | 31.1% | 29.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.9% | 34.5% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | +6.7 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Thornton have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 11.9%, 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 | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.1% | 87.7% | 88.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.5% | 88.4% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.1% | 89.8% | 90.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.0% | 90.9% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.9 pts | +3.2 pts | +3.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Thornton have finished high school (91.0%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across the Detroit area.
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 | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.8% | 12.7% | 11.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.5% | 12.8% | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.4% | 6.8% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.7% | 6.7% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −7.0 pts | −5.9 pts | −5.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Thornton runs well above the national rate: 7.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 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 | 2.70 | 38.4 | 13.3% | 13.1% | 5.6% | 1980 | $993 | 11.9% | 91.0% | 7.7% |
| Goodells | 2.77 | 43.3 | 10.1% | 11.0% | 6.4% | 1987 | $1,079 | 16.9% | 92.1% | 7.1% |
| Smiths Creek | 2.52 | 44.6 | 10.0% | 10.9% | 3.0% | 1983 | $1,153 | 15.1% | 91.6% | 3.5% |
| Ruby | 2.52 | 48.6 | 5.7% | 5.6% | 4.4% | 1983 | $1,142 | 14.6% | 91.0% | 11.4% |
| North Street | 2.52 | 45.1 | 5.7% | 10.1% | 3.1% | 1984 | $1,066 | 22.2% | 93.9% | 5.5% |
| Rattle Run | 2.59 | 46.6 | 8.2% | 1.9% | 1.2% | 1989 | $1,018 | 16.2% | 94.5% | 2.7% |
| Avoca | 2.50 | 46.1 | 8.5% | 4.3% | 6.1% | 1989 | $1,168 | 13.2% | 92.4% | 11.1% |
| Columbus | 2.61 | 41.5 | 9.9% | 12.5% | 1.4% | 1992 | $1,464 | 30.8% | 94.0% | 3.2% |
| Mount Vernon | 2.74 | 38.7 | 6.6% | 3.4% | 0.7% | 1988 | $1,583 | 32.2% | 92.8% | 2.0% |
| Marysville | 2.34 | 45.5 | 7.8% | 16.1% | 4.9% | 1978 | $1,009 | 25.1% | 93.7% | 3.3% |
| Memphis | 2.45 | 44.7 | 3.5% | 8.5% | 5.1% | 1981 | $839 | 21.2% | 93.2% | 2.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Everetts, NC · Tito, VA · Tillman, SC · Taylorshire, NY · Sun River Terrace, IL · Summerfield, IL · Sugarloaf, CA · Styx, TX · Granville Center, MA · Goldfield, IA
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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