City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Boulder | Thornton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,853/mo | $1,758/mo | 5.4% higher in A |
| Median home value | $919,700 | $445,200 | 106.6% higher in A |
| Median household income | $80,243 | $95,064 | 15.6% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.1 | 104.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 125.1 | 125.1 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 104.6 | 104.6 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 104.1 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Boulder, you'd need $94,868 in Thornton to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Thornton, CO is about 5.1% cheaper overall than Boulder, CO, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 5% lower in Thornton than in Boulder. If you earn $80,000 in Boulder, you'd need about $75,894 in Thornton to keep the same standard of living.