City comparison
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 | West Des Moines | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $915/mo | $1,153/mo | 20.6% lower in A |
| Median home value | $178,000 | $266,700 | 33.3% lower in A |
| Median household income | $63,520 | $82,345 | 22.9% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 94.5 | 94.5 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 84.4 | 86.7 | 2.7% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 94.1 | 94.1 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 94.8 | 94.8 | ≈ 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 $110,676 in West Des Moines to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Dubuque, IA is about 9.6% cheaper overall than West Des Moines, IA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 23% lower in Dubuque than in West Des Moines. If you earn $80,000 in Dubuque, you'd need about $88,541 in West Des Moines to keep the same standard of living.