| | Thornton, IL | Appleton, WI | United States |
| Population | 2,299 | 74,752 | 329,725,481 |
| Female Population | 51.1% | 50.5% | 50.5% |
| Male Population | 48.9% | 49.5% | 49.5% |
| Median Age | 43.9 | 36.5 | 38.4 |
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| Population - 2010 | 2,388 | 72,616 | 309,327,143 |
| Population - 2000 | 2,582 | 70,087 | 285,036,114 |
| Population - 1990 | 2,778 | 65,695 | 251,960,433 |
| Pop. 2000 to Now | -8.3% | 5.7% | 15.6% |
| Pop. 1990 to Now | -14.8% | 12.7% | 30.8% |
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| Population Density | 968.0 | 3,056.5 | 93.4 |
| Land Area | 2.4 | 24.5 | 3,531,905.4 |
| Water Area | 0.0 | 0.5 | 264,836.8 |
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| Est. Total Population By Age | | | |
| | Thornton, IL | Appleton, WI | United States |
| Age 0 to 4 | 5.5% | 6.4% | 5.9% |
| Age 5 to 9 | 2.3% | 6.7% | 6.1% |
| Age 10 to 14 | 4.8% | 6.4% | 6.6% |
| Age 15 to 17 | 5.6% | 4.5% | 3.9% |
| Age 18 to 20 | 1.7% | 4.3% | 4.0% |
| Age 21 to 24 | 5.2% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
| Age 25 to 34 | 13.0% | 14.2% | 13.8% |
| Age 35 to 44 | 12.4% | 13.3% | 12.9% |
| Age 45 to 54 | 13.5% | 12.4% | 12.6% |
| Age 55 to 59 | 8.3% | 6.8% | 6.7% |
| Age 60 to 64 | 11.0% | 5.4% | 6.3% |
| Age 65 to 74 | 9.5% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Age 75 to 84 | 4.9% | 3.9% | 4.5% |
| Age 85 and over | 2.3% | 1.9% | 1.9% |
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| Race | | | |
| | Thornton, IL | Appleton, WI | United States |
| White | 55.5% | 79.9% | 59.4% |
| Black | 26.5% | 3.0% | 12.2% |
| Asian | 0.9% | 7.2% | 5.6% |
| Native American | 0.0% | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Hawaiian, Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Other | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| Two or More Races | 1.3% | 3.0% | 3.2% |
| Hispanic | 15.8% | 6.4% | 18.4% |
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| Marriage & Family | | | |
| | Thornton, IL | Appleton, WI | United States |
| Married Population | 39.3% | 49.5% | 49.8% |
| Currently Married | 38.1% | 48.7% | 48.0% |
| Married but Separated | 1.1% | 0.8% | 1.8% |
| Single Population | 60.7% | 50.5% | 50.2% |
| Never Married | 37.4% | 34.9% | 33.8% |
| Divorced | 14.5% | 11.3% | 10.8% |
| Widowed | 8.8% | 4.4% | 5.6% |
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| Household Size | 2.33 | 2.41 | 2.60 |
| Households | 983 | 29,926 | 124,010,992 |
| Family Households | 592 | 18,716 | 80,755,759 |
| Married couple, w/children | 16.9% | 32.6% | 30.5% |
| Married couple, no children | 46.3% | 43.9% | 42.9% |
| Non Family Households | 391 | 11,210 | 43,255,233 |
| Single householder, w/children | 14.4% | 16.7% | 15.8% |
| Single householder, no children | 22.5% | 6.8% | 10.8% |