Living in Dubuque, IA
Small city in Iowa
Dubuque is a small city in Iowa, home to about 59,000 people, with 133,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, there is some transit, though many people drive. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.
Is Dubuque a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $249k and rents for $1,450 a month
- Safe: violent crime is 0.5× the US rate (FBI 2019)
- Mild summers: highs around 83°F
- Dog-friendly: 2 dog parks within 9 mi
👎 Cons
- Smaller job market: about 133,000 people live within 31 mi
- Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
- Fewer graduates: 34% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
- Cloudier than most places
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Dubuque ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Dubuque: common questions
What is the cost of living in Dubuque?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $249k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,450 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 87, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Dubuque?
Iowa collects about $1,192 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.36% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Dubuque safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.5× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Dubuque?
Dubuque has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 31°F and summer days around 83°F, with roughly 36″ of snow a year.
Does Dubuque get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from flooding, tornadoes and cold waves: 9 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.97 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Dubuque?
The nearest major airport is MKE, about 146 mi away.
How Dubuque scores
Each bar compares Dubuque with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Nearby
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Is Dubuque right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.