Thornton has a safety index of 35 out of 100 (Moderate reported crime). This is a relative measure comparing reported crime across Cape Town suburbs, not an absolute safety guarantee. The Pinelands precinct recorded approximately 1,228 crimes in the most recent annual period. Absolute crime volume is below the city average.

Is Thornton affordable?

Thornton sits in the mid-range for Cape Town property values. The median is R2.2M, placing it in the 60th percentile, broadly in line with the city median. Note that these figures are based on the City of Cape Town General Valuation 2022 and reflect municipal valuations, not necessarily current market prices.

What are utility costs in Thornton?

The median monthly water cost per account in Thornton is R794, 21% above the city median of R658. The median monthly electricity cost per account in Thornton is R1,654, 13% below the median of CoCT-billed suburbs of R1,900.

What is the municipal debt in Thornton?

As of May 2026, the average outstanding municipal debt per account in Thornton is R21,346, 142% above the city median of R8,815. Figures include all account types, so may overstate household debt in areas with commercial activity.

Thornton

A suburb with moderate reported crime, above-average property values, and responsive municipal services relative to Cape Town.

Safety35/100Safer than 33% of Cape Town suburbs (relative)Property1.5-2MTop 40%Schools1nearby Healthcare21 facilitiesmore access than most suburbs CouncilNear avg complaints1d median resolution TransportMinibus taxi coverage2 routes serving the area

Data current as of June 2026

The neighbourhood

What's it like to live here?

Thornton is a neighbourhood in Northern Suburbs, Cape Town, where property values sit in the middle-to-upper range for Cape Town. The area's safety profile is below the city average for reported safety. There are several places of worship in the area. The dominant commuter mode is private vehicle.

How is the area changing?

In Thornton, crime levels are stable based on the most recent quarterly comparison. Property values have broadly tracked inflation between valuation rolls.

What should buyers know?

Thornton is served by schools within reach. In this area, the City typically resolves service complaints promptly. The suburb is well-served by nearby healthcare facilities.

Neighbourhood summary generated from StreetSignal data and reviewed by our team.

These statistics describe the suburb as a whole. Conditions vary between streets and neighbourhoods within any suburb.

For home buyers & families

Is Thornton safe?

Moderate reported crime

Higher crimeModerateLower crime

3rd percentile among 744 suburbs · Data: Q4 2025/2026 (Jan–Mar 2026) · relative index, not an absolute safety measure

Very lowAbsolute crime volume

1 228 reported crimes per year · city median: 4 280

↑ 3.0% vs Q3 2024

Crime sits in the middle range for Cape Town. Contact crime (assault, robbery) dominates the reported crime profile.

Detailed data

Safety index (resident-adjusted) How is this calculated?: 35 / 100
Contact crime rate: 114,254 per 100k residents
Station population: 18 120
Harm rate (per resident): 26/100
Harm volume (absolute): 47/100
Data period: Q4 2025/2026 (Jan–Mar 2026)
Source: SAPS via DataFirst · CC-BY 4.0

This data reflects crimes reported to SAPS Pinelands precinct, which covers Thornton and surrounding suburbs. Reported crime may differ from actual crime levels.Full methodology

Disagree with this score? Challenge the methodology ›

Source: SAPS via DataFirst · Q4 2025/2026

FOR BUYERS & INVESTORS

What do properties cost in Thornton?

60th percentile

Planned development

23 hectares of land in Thornton are earmarked for new development across 1 parcel, primarily High Density Residential (23ha).

Source: CCT District Spatial Development Framework (January 2023). Development areas indicate planning designation, not construction timelines.

The median property value in Thornton is R2.2M. Property values have grown by 5.1% per year since 2018.

A 5.1% annual growth rate (CAGR) over the valuation period.

Value band distribution – Thornton properties (GV2022)

6-800k

800k-1M

1-1.5M

1.5-2M ◀

2-2.5M

2.5-3M

3-3.5M

Property values are based on the City of Cape Town's 2022 General Valuation roll. GV is an assessed value for municipal rating purposes; transaction prices frequently exceed GV. Recent sales transaction data and rental market data are not available as open data in South Africa.

Median GV2022: R2,200,000
Value growth (CAGR 2018–2022): +5.1% per year↑ Growing
City-wide value percentile: 60th percentile
Dominant value band: 1.5-2M
Source: CCT GV 2022 · Open Data Policy 27781
Vintage: General Valuation 2022 (municipal valuation, not current market price)

Source: City of Cape Town GV2022

FOR RESIDENTS

What do utilities cost in Thornton?

Computed from City of Cape Town billing data

Water

R794 / month

21% above city median

Electricity

R1 654 / month

13% below median of CoCT-billed suburbs

Water trend:Dec 2025: R1 039Jan 2026: R739Feb 2026: R794

Electricity trend:Dec 2025: R1 908Jan 2026: R1 654Feb 2026: R1 529

Monthly cost per account from City of Cape Town billing data. Water coverage: 647 suburbs. Electricity coverage: 384 suburbs.

INVESTMENT ACTIVITY

Development activity in Thornton

↓ Decreasing

Thornton had 83 building plans approved in the last three financial years (FY22/23 to FY24/25), averaging 28 per year. Most were renovations and extensions.

3-year approvals: 83
Annual average: 28/yr
Avg project value: R1.8M

Building plans approved by the City of Cape Town (2014-2025). Approvals indicate planned investment, not completed construction. This data reflects formal building activity only and does not capture informal construction, backyard dwellings, or building work undertaken without a formal plan submission. In areas with high informality, actual construction activity may be substantially higher than these figures suggest. Source: CoCT Building Development Management (DAMS).

FOR PARENTS

How are schools in Thornton?

1 school nearby

Thornton has 1 school within reach. Schools include Thornton Primary School.

Matric results: pass rate data currently covers 157 of 744 suburbs.Thornton will surface when DBE suburb-level data is processed in the next pipeline run. About coverage ›

Q5
Thornton Primary School
Public · Grades R–7 · 695 learners · 27.8:1 learner-educator ratio
Quintile 5School fees applyFavourable class size

Quintile 5 is the highest government-funding category - fees apply, but these are the best-resourced public schools in South Africa. Rankings set by the WCED against community socioeconomic index. Learner-educator ratio (LER) is from EMIS Q2 2025; under 30:1 is favourable by WCED standards, over 40:1 indicates strained capacity. What quintile means ›

Source: DBE EMIS · Q2 2025

FOR COMMUTERS

How connected is Thornton?

Private vehicle dominant

Thornton has 2 minibus taxi routes, including routes to the CBD. The most common way people get to work is by private vehicle (93%).

Taxi connectivity

Low connectivity

2 routes

14th percentile · 4 destinations · CBD-connected

Cape town, Khayelitsha, Maitland, Ruyterwacht (via garden village)

Based on CCT minibus taxi route data. Routes matched by name and spatial proximity (500m). Methodology ›

Commute mode share

Anyone relocating to Thornton needs a car. The 93% private vehicle share is a socioeconomic profile signal, not a walkability score – in working-class Cape Town suburbs the same walking rate indicates structural necessity. Here it is lifestyle choice.

Private vehicle

93%

Cape Town transport context: In South African cities, transport mode is a socioeconomic proxy – high private vehicle = affluent, high minibus taxi = working class, high walking = structural necessity not preference. StreetSignal reports modal share rather than a walkability index, which would misrepresent SA urban mobility. Methodology ›

Dominant mode: Private vehicle (93%)
Source: CCT Household Survey 2024

Source: City of Cape Town Open Data · 2024

FOR RESIDENTS

What are living conditions in Thornton?

Full municipal services

Thornton has a service delivery index of 99+ out of 100, above the city median of 84.5. 100% of dwellings are formal structures.

Computed from the City of Cape Town 2024 Household Survey, Thornton survey group (41 households). direct.

› Monthly accommodation expenditure (R4,709) is 2.8× the city median of R1,674.› High digital connectivity: 83% of households have home internet access.

Access to basic services

99+City median: 85

Piped water: 100.0%
Flush toilet: 100.0%
Weekly refuse: 98.1%
Grid electricity: 100.0%

Housing & tenure – Informal or family-compound housing

100City median: 68

Formal dwellings: 100.0%
Owner-occupied: 28.2%
Rented: 33.1%

Environmental risk – Low risk exposure

3risk index · higher = greater risk · City median: 26

Flooding risk: 0.0%
Fire risk: 0.0%
Violent crime: 0.0%
Non-violent crime: 2.7%

Economic structure – Moderate material pressure

Food spending share: 20.4%; Share of income spent on food
City median: 35.3%
Comfortable, moderate discretionary income · 94th percentile
Hardship dimensions: 0; Areas of material need (out of 8)
Grant income share: 18.0%; of households receiving grants
Monthly savings: R1,596; Weighted mean per household

Digital inclusion – Fibre-connected suburb

Home fibre: 82.9%; City median: 46.5%
Mobile only: 14.5%
No access: 2.7%

Food security

Adult food insecurity: 2.7%; City median: 18.3%
Child food insecurity: 0.0%; City median: 13.0%
Food insecurity prevalence: 2.7%; City median: 22.3%

Demographics & community

Avg household size: 2.6 people
Avg children per household: 0.7

Asset ownership

Computer access: 79.1%
Fridge ownership: 94.7%
Property ownership: 0.0%
Geyser ownership: 88.2%
Borehole access: 9.9%

Home-based economy

Home-based business: 2.7%; of households operate a home-based business
WFH full-time: 2.7%

Source: City of Cape Town 2024 Household Survey. Survey group: Thornton. direct.

Energy access

Free basic electricity

5.6%

City median

9% of electricity connections in Thornton receive free basic electricity under the City's indigent support programme. Free basic electricity is a constitutional entitlement providing a monthly allocation to qualifying households. The proportion reflects the reach of the City's indigent support in this suburb, not a measure of poverty.

Source: CCT prepaid electricity data (2025/11/30 to 2026/01/31). Covers prepaid connections only. Credit-metered households are not included. 5,587 connections.

Source: City of Cape Town household survey · 2024

FOR RESIDENTS

How responsive are municipal services in Thornton?

Highly responsive

The City of Cape Town resolves service requests in Thornton in a median of 1 day, compared to the city-wide median of 1 day. This is based on 4,408 service requests to the City of Cape Town.

Computed from City of Cape Town service request data

Infrastructure problems get fixed fast. The median resolution under one day means Thornton residents experience responsive municipal service – a signal of well-maintained infrastructure and efficient complaint routing.

Median days to resolve
City median: 1

93rd

Percentile
across Cape Town

35%

Resolved
same day

Sewerage overflow (14%)Power outage (12%)Compost Bin Application - 150L (5%)Damaged Bin - 240L (3%)Single street light out (3%)

Service requests logged: 4 408
Requests resolved: 79% (3 476 of 4 408)
75% resolved within: 6 days
90% resolved within: 17 days
Source: CCT service request database

Community & faith

Places of worship

3 registered

Christian

Places of worship per suburb from City of Cape Town open data, supplemented with OpenStreetMap data (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Coverage: 373 of 744 suburbs.

Municipal complaints

Complaints & top issues

Near city average

Complaint rate How is this calculated?: 2174.3 per 1,000 households
Total complaints: 4 390
Unresolved: 21.0%

Top issues: Sewerage overflow (619), Power outage (541), Compost Bin Application - 150L (204)

Source: City of Cape Town C3 service requests

MUNICIPAL FINANCE

Municipal debt in Thornton

142% above city median

Computed from City of Cape Town financial data

Municipal debt in Thornton averages R21 346 per account, compared to the city median of R8 815.

R21 346

per account

142% above city median

Trend:Mar 2026: R21 290Apr 2026: R21 346May 2026: R23 270

Breakdown as of May 2026

Property rates: R12 768 641
Electricity: R3 647 594
Water: R4 217 557
Refuse: R903 274
Sewerage: R2 494 962
City-wide cleaning: R168 722
Improvement district: R0

Outstanding municipal arrears from City of Cape Town financial records. Coverage: 741 suburbs. Per-account figures available for 582 suburbs.

FOR FAMILIES

What services are near Thornton?

Well served

Healthcare access

21 within 5km

Nearest public: Conradie Care Centre · Provincial Hospital · 1 km
Nearest private: Netcare N1 City Hospital · Private Hospital · 4.1 km
Public facilities: 18
Private facilities: 3

This suburb has access to both public and private healthcare within 5 km.

The nearest fire station to Thornton is Epping, 1.1 km away. The nearest public pool is Kensington Swimming Pool, 1.8 km away. The nearest clinic is Conradie Care Centre, 1.0 km away.

Nearest clinic: Conradie Care Centre · 1 km
Nearest library: Pinelands · 2.2 km
Nearest park / open space: Tambotie Park · 0.05 km

Fire station

1.1

km to nearest
fire station

Epping

community station

within-5km

response
category

Cape Town has 32 fire stations serving 744 suburbs. Source: CCT open data.

Public swimming pools

1.8

km to nearest
public pool

pools
within 5 km

pools
within 10 km

Nearest pool: Kensington Swimming Pool

Cape Town operates 35 public swimming pools. Source: CCT open data.

Distances straight-line from suburb centroid.

Source: City of Cape Town facility registry

Nearby suburbs

Townsend Estate2.1km · R1.9M

31→

Windermere2.1km · R600K

29→

Similar safety & property profile

Similar suburbs

5 matches

Sonstraal HeightsR1.5-2M

35→

UitzichtR1.5-2M

36→

Vredelust BellvilleR1.5-2M

37→

Plattekloof GlenR1.5-2M

38→

Avondale - ParowR1.5-2M

35→

Explore surrounding areas

Bordering suburbs

4 adjacent

Suburbs that border or sit adjacent to Thornton. Each has its own safety profile, property market, and service data.

Maitland Pinelands Wp Park Wp Showgrounds

Next refresh: when SAPS publishes Q1 2026/2027 (typically about 3 months after the period closes).

Data sources & legal attribution

SAPS Crime StatsCCT Open DataStats SADBE SchoolsCCT Household SurveyCCT Service Requests

South African Police Service, via DataFirst (UCT). SAPS crime statistics, 2019-2026 [dataset]. DOI: 10.25828/5MAW-4H90. CC-BY 4.0.

City of Cape Town. City of Cape Town open data, 2022–2025 [dataset]. CCT Open Data Policy 27781.

Statistics South Africa. Stats SA Census 2022, 2022 [dataset]. Stats SA standard terms (permissive). Analysis is the user's own and not endorsed by Stats SA.

Department of Basic Education, EMIS (Western Cape Q2 2025; Gauteng Q3 2025). DBE EMIS masterlist and public school data, 2023-2025 [dataset]. Source. CC-BY 4.0.

City of Cape Town. CCT Household Survey 2024, 2024 [dataset]. CCT Open Data Policy 27781.

City of Cape Town. CCT Service Requests (C3), 2025–2026 [dataset]. CCT Open Data Policy 27781.

Spot an error or have a correction? Email [email protected].

Building on this data? Access all 744 suburbs via the free REST API or explore commercial access.

Explore rankings:Safest suburbs Best for families Affordable + safe

This map is available on desktop browsers. For assistance interpreting location data, email usor visit the data sources page.

Thornton, Cape Town

Open StreetSignal map ›View on Google Maps ›

Thornton

What's it like to live here?

How is the area changing?

What should buyers know?

Is Thornton safe?

What do properties cost in Thornton?

What do utilities cost in Thornton?

Development activity in Thornton

How are schools in Thornton?

How connected is Thornton?

Taxi connectivityRanks this suburb's taxi route access against all 744 Cape Town suburbs. Based on routes matched by name and within 500m of suburb centre. Large suburbs may have higher actual connectivity than shown.Full methodology ›

Commute mode share

What are living conditions in Thornton?

Access to basic services

Housing & tenure – Informal or family-compound housing

Environmental risk – Low risk exposure

Economic structure – Moderate material pressure

Digital inclusion – Fibre-connected suburb

Food security

Demographics & community

Asset ownership

Home-based economy

How responsive are municipal services in Thornton?

Places of worship

Complaints & top issues

Municipal debt in Thornton

What services are near Thornton?

Healthcare access

Fire station

Public swimming pools

Nearby suburbs

Similar suburbs

Bordering suburbs

Help us improve Thornton

Get updates for Thornton

Taxi connectivity