Cost of Living
per year
per month
How Dubuque's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
How far does your salary go in Dubuque?
Your $100,000 in Dubuque has the same purchasing power as $124,440 in the average US city. You'd need $24,440 less here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Popular comparisons
Sorted by affordability — most affordable first.
Within 10 points of Dubuque's cost index of 80, sorted by closest match.
Wondering whether you should move to Dubuque? It depends on what you're optimizing for, but the city has real arguments in its favor: your dollar carries more weight here and safer than the typical us city, plus 2 more things worth knowing. The data behind each is below.
Dubuque sits at 80 on the composite cost-of-living index — about 20% under the national average. Not the cheapest place in the country, but enough of a discount to notice on rent and groceries every month. Median rent in town runs about $915/mo against a typical household income of $63,520, which is the kind of ratio that leaves room to save.
Dubuque reports about 2,285 crime incidents per 100,000 residents — a step below the US average of around 3,500. The citywide number averages over neighborhoods that can vary a lot, but the headline number is friendlier than most American cities of comparable size.
Dubuque's air quality index averages about 42 — comfortably in the EPA's "good" range. No daily ritual of checking the AQI before going for a run, no smoky-day plans, no surprise asthma flare-ups for the kids. The kind of background condition you notice mostly by its absence.
The average one-way commute in Dubuque is about 15 minutes — short by US standards (the national average is closer to 27). Over a year of working days, that's hundreds of hours that don't get spent in traffic, which is the kind of thing you notice in the weekend rather than the weekday.
Reasons are pulled from Dubuque's actual data — Census ACS, BLS, BEA, NOAA, EPA AQS, FBI, and Walk Score. We don't list positives that aren't supported by the numbers, which is why different cities show different sections.
Yes — and a lot of it. With winter averages near 15°F, Dubuque sees real accumulation most years. Salt for the steps, tires that handle ice, and a sense of humor about February are the usual costs of admission.
Cold enough to plan around. Winter in Dubuque averages roughly 15°F, with stretches where daytime highs don't break freezing for weeks. Decent insulation, a real coat, and a car that starts in cold weather are non-negotiable.
Hot, but not desert-hot. Summer in Dubuque runs about 80°F on average, with afternoons in the 90s and humidity that varies by region. AC is standard rather than optional.
Dubuque falls in roughly USDA Zone 6. The zone classification is based on average annual minimum temperatures, so it's the right lookup for whether perennials and trees will overwinter here. Note that this is approximate from our winter-temperature data — check the USDA map for the exact zone before betting an expensive plant on it.
Dubuque is at about 797 feet (243 m) above sea level. High enough to be solidly above any coastal concern, low enough that altitude isn't a factor.
Average for an American city. Dubuque's reported crime rate of about 2,285 per 100,000 residents sits roughly in line with the US baseline of ~3,500. Like anywhere else, the citywide number masks real differences between neighborhoods — worth looking at specific areas before deciding.
No — your dollar actually goes further here. Dubuque's composite cost-of-living index is 80, roughly 20% under the US average. Housing is usually the biggest driver of the discount.
Mostly car-dependent. Dubuque's Walk Score of 49/100 means a handful of errands work on foot — depending on the neighborhood — but most residents still need a car for the rest. Transit Score is 28 out of 100.
Roughly $56,252 a year would match the lifestyle of someone earning $70,000 in an average US city. That's a starting point, not a target — negotiate higher when you can. Median rent in Dubuque runs about $915/mo — keeping housing under 30% of gross income points to a similar floor on what you'd want to earn.