Town · Texas
Thornton, Texas
Thornton, town, in Limestone County, Texas. Thornton had 429 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 2.9% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 421 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 565 (±249). GEOID 4872788.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
429
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 421 · ACS 2020-2024: 565 ±249
Median household income
$53,750
±$20,708 (90% margin)
Texas: $78,476
Median home value
$84,000
±$10,022 (90% margin)
Texas: $283,800
Median gross rent
$897
±$105 (90% margin)
Texas: $1,403
Where is Thornton and what county is it in?
Thornton is a town in Limestone County, Texas. It covers 1.0 square miles of land, 428 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Thornton, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 429 people lived in Thornton on July 1, 2025, up 2.9% since 2020, slower than Texas (+8.8%). The 2020 Census counted 421 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 565 (±249).
| Measure | Thornton | Limestone County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 565 ±249 | 22,283 | no clear change |
| Households | 172 ±67 | 8,389 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 3.28 ±0.83 | 2.55 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 260 ±85 | 10,443 | no clear change |
Thornton's population since 2000
From 525 in 2000 to 429 in 2025: down 18.3%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Thornton as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Thornton?
The median resident of Thornton is 36.5 years old; 33.1% are under 18 and 16.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 95.0%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 2.1%.
| Measure | Thornton | Limestone County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.5 ±12.0 | 41.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 33.1% ±10.3 pts | 22.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 16.5% ±7.1 pts | 20.9% | – |
| Male | 55.9% ±7.6 pts | 50.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.8% ±2.3 pts | 23.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 95.0% ±4.4 pts | 54.7% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.1% ±1.7 pts | 16.9% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.5 pts | 1.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.1% ±2.4 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.5 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±8.5 pts | 9.5% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.1% ±1.7 pts | 18.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.6% ±5.5 pts | 7.6% | – |
| With a disability | 16.1% ±7.0 pts | 18.7% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 10.6% ±7.3 pts | 17.7% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 91.8% ±5.4 pts | 85.8% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 2.0% ±2.3 pts | 18.5% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 0.0% ±13.1 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 87.4% ±10.6 pts | 89.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 3.2% ±5.0 pts | 1.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Thornton earn?
Half of Thornton's 172 households earn less than $53,750 a year (±$20,708), against $60,573 in Limestone County and $78,476 in Texas. In 2015-2019 it was $53,843 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Thornton | Limestone County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,750 ±$20,708 | $60,573 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $76,222 ±$20,439 | $74,974 | – |
| Per capita income | $21,631 ±$5,593 | $28,496 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 14.5% ±11.4 pts | 17.1% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0% ±23.2 pts | 17.8% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 8.7% ±8.2 pts | 16.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 94.2% ±5.5 pts | 90.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 90.1% ±6.9 pts | 81.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Thornton?
Owners occupy 74.4% of Thornton's occupied homes and renters 25.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $84,000 by its owner (±$10,022). The median renter pays $897 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Thornton | Limestone County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $84,000 ±$10,022 | $164,200 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $897 ±$105 | $905 | −$300 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 0.0% ±57.4 pts | 34.4% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,333 ±$692 | $1,423 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 74.4% ±12.8 pts | 72.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 25.6% ±12.8 pts | 27.9% | – |
| Housing units | 260 ±85 | 10,443 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 9.2% ±15.0 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±52.5 pts | 7.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 78.5% ±11.2 pts | 70.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 18.8% ±9.7 pts | 18.6% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±17.4 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 10.8% ±11.2 pts | 8.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 20.4% ±12.3 pts | 6.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 0.6% ±1.5 pts | 3.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Thornton work and get to work?
87.6% of Thornton's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 25.6 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 18.0%.
| Measure | Thornton | Limestone County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 50.6% ±13.2 pts | 49.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 18.0% ±10.8 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 87.6% ±6.7 pts | 82.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 0.0% ±25.2 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.6% ±2.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 1.8% ±2.6 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Worked from home | 8.3% ±6.4 pts | 6.7% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 25.6 min ±4.5 | 28.9 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Thornton?
No census tract lies mostly in Thornton; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9708Limestone County | 2,821 | $58,542 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Thornton) · Census block assignment files
How does Thornton compare with other places in Texas?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Thornton is the 13,827th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 1,024th-most populous of 1,224 in Texas.
Thornton is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 1,024th | 1,224 |
Thornton's figures with every place in Texas (CSV)
Every place in Texas, sortable · Compare Thornton with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Thornton?
27 of the 57 figures for Thornton on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Thornton are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Thornton.