City comparison
Dubuque, IA is about 300 miles (475 km) from Sioux City, IA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 350 miles, or about 6 h behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Dubuque, IA to Sioux City, IA takes about 35 min, covering roughly 300 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Sioux City has a population of 85,469, vs 59,315 in Dubuque — about 1.4× larger by population. By land area, Sioux City covers about 59 sq mi vs 31 sq mi for Dubuque.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Dubuque | Sioux City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $915/mo | $904/mo | 1.2% higher in Dubuque |
| Median home value | $178,000 | $149,800 | 18.8% higher in Dubuque |
| Median household income | $63,520 | $64,250 | 1.1% higher in Sioux City |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.2 | ≈ equal (Sioux City slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 82.2 | 83.5 | 1.7% higher in Sioux City |
| Transportation index | 93.3 | 93.1 | ≈ equal (Dubuque slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 93.5 | 93.3 | ≈ equal (Dubuque slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Dubuque, you'd need $97,125 in Sioux City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Sioux City, IA is about 2.9% cheaper overall than Dubuque, IA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 10% higher in Dubuque than in Sioux City. If you earn $80,000 in Dubuque, you'd need about $77,700 in Sioux City to keep the same standard of living.