Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Fishers, IN
VS
Thornton, CO
🏆 Fishers leads 18 of 23 categories
Fishers
Indiana
18
wins
Cost of Living Index
94.6 ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$126,548 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
19 ✓ Safer
Population
99,041
Thornton
Colorado
5
wins
Cost of Living Index
105.5⚠ High
Median Household Income
$95,064
Violent Crime Index
72
Population
141,799 ✓ Larger
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Fishers, IN
Pros
73% less violent crime than Thornton
Households earn $31,484 more per year on average
Homes cost $106k less ($339,000 vs $445,200)
More college-educated — 65.7% hold a bachelor's or higher
Stronger job market — unemployment is 2.1 pts lower (2.5%)
Violent crime is well below the national average (72.9 vs 380/100k)
Cons
Nothing stands out — a close match here.
Thornton, CO
Pros
Milder winters — January highs near 48°F vs 35°F
Cons
Median income trails Fishers by $31,484/yr
Pricier housing — median home is $445,200
Higher rents — median is $1,758/mo
Property crime (2835.8/100k) runs high vs the U.S. average
Key Differences at a Glance
Fishers
Cost of Living
11% cheaper
COL index 94.6 vs 105.5 (100 = US avg)
Fishers
Median Income
$31,484
$126,548 vs $95,064/yr
Fishers
Violent Crime
73% lower
72.9 vs 273.6 per 100k
Fishers
Median Home Value
$106k less
$339,000 vs $445,200
Fishers
Unemployment
2.1 pp lower
2.5% vs 4.6% unemployment
Thornton
Summer Heat
6.7°F warmer
July avg high 91.1°F vs 84.4°F
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Fishers, IN | Thornton, CO |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 94.6 ✓ Cheaper | 105.5⚠ High |
| Median Home Value | $339,000⚠ High ✓ Lower | $445,200⚠ High |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,478⚠ High ✓ Lower | $1,758⚠ High |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $126,548 ✓ Higher | $95,064 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.5% ✓ Lower | 4.6%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 26.3 min ✓ Shorter | 30.9 min⚠ High |
| Work From Home % | 18.8% ✓ Higher | 12.5% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 24 ✓ Safer | 97 |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 19 ✓ Safer | 72 |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 31 ✓ Safer | 135⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | A (118) ✓ Better | B- (93) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 17.5:1 | 17.3:1 ✓ Smaller |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 65.7% ✓ Higher | 30.7% |
| High School or Higher | 98.0% ✓ Higher | 87.6% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Hamilton Southeastern Schools | Adams 12 Five Star Schools |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 34.5°F | 48.0°F ✓ Warmer |
| Avg High — July | 84.4°F | 91.1°F ✓ Warmer |
| Annual Precipitation | 45.9" | 16.7" ✓ Drier |
| Annual Snowfall | 26.7" ✓ Less | 44.8" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 99,041 | 141,799 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 37.1 ✓ Older | 33.7 |
| Homeownership Rate | 77.1% ✓ Higher | 72.7% |
| Under 18 | 27.4% ✓ More | 26.6% |
| Over 65 | 10.7% ✓ More | 10.1% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Fishers's cost of living index is 94.6 vs Thornton's 105.5 (US average = 100).
Fishers is 11% less expensive overall.
Based on the 23 decided categories above, Fishers leads 18 of 23 categories. Fishers wins 18 and Thornton wins 5. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Fishers to Thornton or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($339,000 vs $445,200 median home), income ($126,548 vs $95,064), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Fishers, IN and Thornton, CO are about 1,003 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.