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Aurora, CO vs Thornton, CO Crime Comparison

Side-by-side crime rates, safety scores, and trends based on FBI data.

Full report: Aurora crime rate · Thornton crime rate

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Is Aurora, CO or Thornton, CO Safer?

According to crimebycity.com's analysis of FBI data, Thornton, CO is safer than Aurora, CO (Safety Score 18/100 vs 8/100), with a total crime rate of 3,114 per 100,000 versus 4,053 for Aurora, CO — 23% lower. Aurora has higher rates in 1 of 7 crime categories.

The biggest difference is in murder, where Thornton has a 87% lower rate.

Note: Aurora is 2.7x larger by coverage, which can affect crime rate comparisons. Larger cities tend to report higher rates due to density and more comprehensive reporting.

Quiz: which of these is MORE DANGEROUS than Aurora, CO?

Aurora — 5-Year Trend

Increasing Violent Increasing Property Increasing Total

Thornton — 5-Year Trend

Flat Violent Decreasing Property Decreasing Total

Aurora, CO

Aurora, CO
Safety Score 8/100
Coverage 397,852
Total Crime Rate 4,052.5
Category Wins 1/7

Thornton, CO

Thornton, CO
Safety Score 18/100
Coverage 145,847
Total Crime Rate 3,114.2
Category Wins 6/7

Detailed Crime Rate Comparison

Crime Type Aurora Thornton Difference
Total Crime Rate 4,052.5 3,114.2 +938.3
Violent Crime Rate 948.6 278.4 +670.2
Murder Rate 10.3 1.4 +8.9
Rape Rate 73.4 79.5 -6.2
Robbery Rate 136.2 49.4 +86.9
Aggravated Assault Rate 727.9 143.3 +584.6
Property Crime Rate 3,103.9 2,835.9 +268.1
Burglary Rate 371.2 277.0 +94.2
Larceny-Theft Rate 1,836.1 2,067.9 -231.8
Motor Vehicle Theft Rate 896.6 490.9 +405.6

All rates per 100,000 residents. Source: FBI UCR.

Moving from Aurora, CO to Thornton, CO?

The Moving Checklist Planner turns your move-in date into a dated checklist, packing inventory and budget — seven tabs for Google Sheets or Excel, $12 once.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Aurora or Thornton safer?

Thornton, CO is safer with a total crime rate of 3,114 per 100K vs 4,053 for Aurora, CO — a 23% difference.

How do violent crime rates compare?

Aurora has a violent crime rate of 948.6 per 100K while Thornton has 278.4. Thornton has lower violent crime.

About Aurora, CO

Aurora, Colorado, a large city spanning three counties, was originally founded in the 1880s as a dry community named Fletcher. It is now the third most populous city in Colorado, with a diverse suburban landscape east of Denver. With a safety score of 8/100 and a population coverage of 397,852, Aurora has a total crime rate of 4,052.5 per 100,000 residents.

About Thornton, CO

Thornton, a northern Denver suburb, began as a post-WWII housing boom community. It spans parts of Adams and Weld counties, with a diverse, family-oriented population. With a safety score of 18/100 and a population coverage of 145,847, Thornton has a total crime rate of 3,114.2 per 100,000 residents.

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