Pueblo vs Thornton
The short version
- Pueblo is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 13% lower than in the Thornton area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $247,200 in Pueblo and $517,500 in Thornton.
- Households earn more in Thornton ($103,088 vs $56,664 median).
- Thornton gets far more snow: 49 inches a year vs 28.
- Pueblo has more scorching days: 72 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 42.
- Thornton is growing faster: +4.2% since 2020 vs -1.3%.
- Commutes are shorter in Pueblo (19 vs 30 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Pueblo, CO | Thornton, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 110,404 | 147,766 |
| Growth since 2020 | -1.3% | +4.2% |
| People per square mile | 1,950 | 4,046 |
| Median age | 38.4 | 34.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24% | 33% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $56,664 | $103,088 |
| Median home value | $247,200 | $517,500 |
| Home value to income | 4.4× | 5.0× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,082 | $1,895 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 91.8 | 105.8 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 71.3 | 146.9 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $68,800 | $79,300 |
| Homeowners | 61% | 71% |
| Top state income tax | 4.4% | 4.4% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.89% | 7.89% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 19.4 | 30.4 |
| Work from home | 8% | 15% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5% | 4.5% |
| Poverty rate | 17.5% | 7% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 48° / 15° | 47° / 18° |
| July high / low | 93° / 61° | 90° / 59° |
| Precipitation per year | 12 in | 15 in |
| Snowfall per year | 28 in | 49 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 72 | 42 |
| Nights below freezing | 165 | 156 |
| Comfortable months | 2 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 82.5 | 91.2 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 73% | 29% |
| Home prices, past year | -2.9% | -0.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +21.4% | +21.4% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Pueblo: May and September. Thornton: May to June and September.
Full monthly tables: Pueblo weather by month and Thornton weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $68,800 in Pueblo and $79,300 in Thornton. Moving from Pueblo to Thornton, you would need about $86,500 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Pueblo and Thornton
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Pueblo and Thornton.
Which would you pick?
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