Water damage restoration · Thornton, Colorado
Water damage restoration in Thornton, CO
Burst pipe, failed water heater, or storm water? Thornton-area ZIPs: 34 flood claims since 1981[1]; 22% of homes built before 1980[2]. Request help from local restoration crews. Thornton, in Adams County and Weld County — ZIPs 80602, 80229, 80241, 80233, 80260, counts 147,766 residents (2025 estimate)[3].
Request helpIs this a water-damage emergency?
Answer a few questions for a plan for the next hour.
Thornton water damage snapshot: the key figures
- Population (2025 est.)
- 147,766[3]+4.2% since 2020
- County
- Adams / Weld[3]city spans more than one county
- Land area
- 36.7 sq mi[4]
- Flood-insurance (NFIP) claims, local ZIPs
- 34 since 1981[1]$81,618 paid across 19 claims · ZIP 80602, 80229, 80241, 80233, 80260
- Flood & flash-flood reports within 10 mi
- 7[5]2016–2025 · latest May 11, 2023
- Federal disaster declarations incl. flooding, Adams Co.
- 3[6]of 9 total declarations
- Homes built before 1980
- 22%[2]the 4th-lowest share of the 15 Denver-area suburbs we cover
- Households renting
- 29%[2]2020–2024
Reading the Thornton data for water damage
Thornton counts 147,766 residents (2025 estimate), growing at a middle-of-the-pack 4.2% since 2020[3]. On the map that's 36.7 square miles holding 4,032 residents per square mile, the 3rd densest of the suburbs here; it spans Adams County and Weld County, with ZIP codes 80602, 80229, 80241, 80233, 80260[4].
Thornton mixes 19% of homes built since 2010 and 22% before 1980[2]: new supply lines and water heaters in one house, aging pipe and original valves in the next — so where a leak starts depends a lot on the address.
5 ZIP codes cover Thornton — 80602 (35% of the city's land), 80229 (19% of the city's land), 80241 (18% of the city's land), 80233 (13% of the city's land), 80260 (6% of the city's land)[7].
Nearest of the other suburbs we track: Northglenn (2.2 mi W), Broomfield (6.2 mi W) and Westminster (6.9 mi SW)[4].
34 flood-insurance claims have come from Thornton-area ZIP codes (80602, 80229, 80241, 80233, 80260) since 1981, and $81,618 has been paid on them (about $4,296 per paid claim)[1]. 2013 was the worst year, with 6 claims. That is the 7th-fewest of the 15 Denver-area suburbs we cover; for comparison, Northglenn (19), Broomfield (57), and Westminster (45). Of the 33 claims rated in a flood zone, 8 were in FEMA's high-risk areas (zones A or V) and 25 outside them (zones B, C or X)[1][8] — flooding here is not only a high-risk-zone problem.
By month of loss, Thornton-area flood claims cluster in May (7), June (7), and July (6) — 20 of 34 dated claims[1].
Within 10 miles of central Thornton, weather observers filed 7 flood, flash-flood or heavy-rain reports in 2016–2025 (5 flash floods)[5]. Countywide: 3 flood declarations since 2000, latest Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (DR-4229, 2015)[6]. Nearby: Northglenn (11), Broomfield (6), and Westminster (14).
22% of Thornton's 52,250 housing units predate 1980[2] — the 4th-lowest share of the 15 Denver-area suburbs we cover (Northglenn (60%), Broomfield (21%), and Westminster (34%)). In newer houses, check fittings, washer hoses and the water-heater pan first — and any builder warranty.
71% of Thornton households own their home[2], so most claims and rebuilds here are coordinated by the owner.
How a leak spreads inside a wall
Water on the move: it spreads across floors and wicks upward into drywall until it is stopped.
Thornton storm calendar
Within 10 miles of Thornton, 2016–2025: 5 flash-flood reports and 2 flood reports[5]. Peak: 100% in May, July, and August. Busiest year 2022 (2); 5 of 10 years had none. Busiest month August 2022 (2). Latest: flood report, May 11, 2023, 5.6 mi out.
| Month | Flash flood | Flood | Heavy rain | All |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May | – | 2 | – | 2 |
| Jul | 1 | – | – | 1 |
| Aug | 4 | – | – | 4 |
Finding water damage help around Thornton
Requests go to Water damage restoration contractors serving the Thornton area — ZIP codes 80602, 80229, 80241, 80233, 80260.
Before you pick up the phone: what a restoration crew does first
Shared walls and ceilings: Thornton homes by building type
With 62%[2] of homes detached, most Thornton water-damage jobs stay inside one house — the owner's policy and the owner's call.
After detached houses, the biggest group is attached house (townhouse, rowhouse): 5,680 of 52,250 housing units[2].
Thornton also has 2,410 mobile homes (4.6%); for a leak under one, ask for a crew that works on manufactured homes.
| Building type | Units | Share | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached house | 32,198 | 61.6% | ±982 |
| Attached house (townhouse, rowhouse) | 5,680 | 10.9% | ±549 |
| Duplex (2 units) | 147 | 0.3% | ±82 |
| 3–4 units | 1,446 | 2.8% | ±472 |
| 5–9 units | 2,975 | 5.7% | ±564 |
| 10–19 units | 3,303 | 6.3% | ±543 |
| 20–49 units | 2,337 | 4.5% | ±411 |
| 50 or more units | 1,754 | 3.4% | ±473 |
| Mobile home | 2,410 | 4.6% | ±415 |
Margins of error are the Census Bureau’s 90% intervals; small categories in small cities are rough.
Thornton by the numbers
| Measure | Thornton | Median of 15 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built before 1980 | 22% | 37% | 15 pts lower |
| Renter-occupied | 29% | 37% | 9 pts lower |
| Flood reports (10 mi) | 7 | 6 | 1 more |
| Owner-occupied | 71% | 63% | 9 pts higher |
| Median home value | $517,500 | $574,400 | 10% lower |
| NFIP flood claims (area ZIPs) | 34 | 35 | 1 fewer |
| Median year built | 1997 | 1987 | 10 years newer |
Biggest gaps first. Medians are middle values across the Denver-area suburbs we cover, drawn from the same sources.
| City | NFIP claims | Flood reports ≤10 mi | Built before 1980 | Renting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thornton | 34 | 7 | 22% | 29% |
| Northglenn 2.2 mi | 19 | 11 | 60% | 39% |
| Broomfield 6.2 mi | 57 | 6 | 21% | 37% |
| Westminster 6.9 mi | 45 | 14 | 34% | 38% |
| Commerce City 8.2 mi | 6 | 2 | 24% | 23% |
| Brighton 8.4 mi | 8 | 2 | 31% | 29% |
| ZIP | Claims | Paid | Busiest year | Outside high-risk zones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80602 | 7 | $20,971 | 2013 (3) | 4 of 7 |
| 80229 | 13 | $43,179 | 1984 (3) | 9 of 13 |
| 80241 | 1 | $0 | 2024 (1) | 1 of 1 |
| 80233 | 4 | $367 | 1990 (1) | 3 of 4 |
| 80260 | 9 | $17,101 | 2011 (3) | 8 of 8 |
ZIPs extend past city limits. Outside high-risk zones: claims rated in zone B, C or X, of the claims that carry a zone.
| Year | Claims |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2015 | 5 |
| 2013 | 6 |
| 2011 | 3 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2004 | 2 |
| 2001 | 1 |
| 2000 | 1 |
| 1999 | 2 |
| Month | Claims |
|---|---|
| March | 1 |
| April | 1 |
| May | 7 |
| June | 7 |
| July | 6 |
| August | 5 |
| September | 6 |
| November | 1 |
| Date | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| May 11, 2023 | Flood | 4.8 mi |
| May 11, 2023 | Flood | 5.6 mi |
| Aug 16, 2022 | Flash Flood | 7.9 mi |
| Aug 7, 2022 | Flash Flood | 5.1 mi |
| Jul 30, 2021 | Flash Flood | 8.0 mi |
| Aug 21, 2019 | Flash Flood | 8.6 mi |
| Aug 30, 2016 | Flash Flood | 7.0 mi |
| ZIP (ZCTA) | Share of Thornton's land | Share of the ZIP inside the city |
|---|---|---|
| 80602 | 35% | 41% |
| 80229 | 19% | 55% |
| 80241 | 18% | 97% |
| 80233 | 13% | 50% |
| 80260 | 6% | 44% |
Common Thornton water damage questions
Do I need flood insurance in Thornton?
Homeowners policies exclude outside floodwater[9], and Thornton-area ZIPs have 5 NFIP claims in just the last ten years[1].
Which Thornton ZIP codes do these crews cover?
80602, 80229, 80241, 80233, and 80260[7], in Adams County. Nearby pages: Northglenn (2.2 mi), Broomfield (6.2 mi), and Westminster (6.9 mi)[4].
Which Thornton ZIP code has the most flood claims?
80229, with 13 NFIP claims and $43,179 paid[1].
When was the last flood report near Thornton?
May 11, 2023: a flood report 4.8 miles from the city center[5].
Sources
- OpenFEMA NFIP claims
- Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year (keyless bulk)
- Census population estimates, Vintage 2025
- Census Gazetteer 2025
- NOAA Storm Events Database
- OpenFEMA disaster declarations
- Census 2020 ZCTA–place file
- FEMA, Flood Zones (link unverified)
- FEMA FloodSmart (link unverified)
Data pulled Sep 28, 2026. Full citations and method.