City comparison
Commerce City, CO is about 10 miles (10 km) from Thornton, CO in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 10 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Commerce City, CO to Thornton, CO takes about 1 min, covering roughly 10 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Thornton has a population of 141,799, vs 63,050 in Commerce City — about 2.2× larger by population. By land area, Commerce City covers about 37 sq mi vs 37 sq mi for Thornton.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
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 | Commerce City | Thornton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,540/mo | $1,758/mo | 14.2% higher in Thornton |
| Median home value | $436,500 | $445,200 | 2.0% higher in Thornton |
| Median household income | $96,484 | $95,064 | 1.5% higher in Commerce City |
| Groceries index | 101.2 | 101.2 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 91.2 | 91.2 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 99.9 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 99.9 | 99.9 | ≈ 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 Commerce City, you'd need $100,550 in Thornton to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Commerce City, CO is about 0.5% cheaper overall than Thornton, CO, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Commerce City, you'd need about $80,440 in Thornton to keep the same standard of living.