Should I Move To
Roughly 59,315 people live in Dubuque, Iowa. Living here costs very affordable relative to the rest of the country, 20% below the national average. Median rent runs about $915/mo; the typical household pulls in $63,520. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 50/100 — a C-, putting it at #480 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
By the composite index, Dubuque sits at 80 — very affordable when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($915/mo against $63,520 median household income), housing eats roughly 17% of a typical paycheck — comfortably under the 30% rule of thumb, which is unusual. Buying-side, the median home value is $178,000.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is cold-winter: roughly 80°F in summer, 15°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 37 inches. Car-dependent for most errands, with small walkable pockets downtown or in older neighborhoods. Air quality reads good (AQI 42).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, Dubuque is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 58/100 (grade C) on the families profile. Strongest on affordability (96/100); weakest on climate (14/100).
For retirees, Dubuque isn't the strongest match. It earns 54/100 (grade C-) on the retirees profile. Strongest on affordability (96/100); weakest on climate (14/100).
For remote workers, Dubuque is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 61/100 (grade C+) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on affordability (96/100); weakest on climate (14/100).
For young professionals, Dubuque isn't the strongest match. It earns 50/100 (grade D) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on affordability (96/100); weakest on climate (14/100).
Dubuque, Iowa pulls a 50/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C-), currently ranked #480 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Dubuque's cost-of-living index is 80 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the very affordable band — 20% below the national average. Median rent runs about $915/mo.
Cold-winter — summer averages around 80°F, winter averages around 15°F, with about 37 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 49/100. Car-dependent for most errands, with small walkable pockets downtown or in older neighborhoods.
Dubuque has about 59,315 residents, 33% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 38.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Dubuque head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Dubuque stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Dubuque with other Iowa cities scored on UrbRank.
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