City comparison
Dubuque, IA is about 80 miles (125 km) from Waterloo, IA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 100 miles, or about 1 h 45 min 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 Waterloo, IA takes about 10 min, covering roughly 80 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.
Waterloo has a population of 67,256, vs 59,315 in Dubuque — about 1.1× larger by population. By land area, Waterloo covers about 62 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 | Waterloo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $915/mo | $865/mo | 5.8% higher in Dubuque |
| Median home value | $178,000 | $142,000 | 25.4% higher in Dubuque |
| Median household income | $63,520 | $54,104 | 17.4% higher in Dubuque |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.0 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 82.2 | 84.4 | 2.7% higher in Waterloo |
| Transportation index | 93.3 | 93.3 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 93.5 | 93.5 | ≈ equal |
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 $99,614 in Waterloo to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Dubuque and Waterloo have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Dubuque, you'd need about $79,691 in Waterloo to keep the same standard of living.