Thornton is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, home to about 2,799 people across 50 square miles. Its ZIP code is 03285.
Homes sold for a median of $254 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Thornton. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Thornton’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Portland International Jetport (PWM)69 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Lebanon Municipal Airport (LEB)38 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Boston, MA113 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | New York, NY253 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Thornton; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Thornton had 2,708 residents in the 2020 census, up 47% since 2000.
It’s the 114th largest of 242 towns in New Hampshire by population.
Grafton County grew from 40,844 residents in 1900 to 91,118 in 2020.
Grafton County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 77°F in summer, and winter lows average 6°F. About 54 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Waterville Valley Nepp, NH weather station (7 miles away).
54,232 jobs at 2,920 businesses in Grafton County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
4 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Thornton.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 1 |
|---|---|
| Mental health providers | 3 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (2 nearby)
Libraries (2 nearby)
Museums
Counts are within about 4.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1763.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Thornton School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thornton Central SchoolThornton | K–8 | 172 | Public | 1.1 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.