Located in the state of Iowa, Dubuque is a medium-sized city with a population of 58,535 inhabitants. According to the most recent Census, 91% of Dubuque residents are White, 4% Black and 1% Asian. Dubuque has a high percentage of people who are married with children when compared to the rest of the country. In total, more than 73% of the population is classified as married and 66% have kids.
Are you trying to decide if living in Dubuque is the right fit for your lifestyle? To ensure a positive experience before moving to any new city in Iowa, you will probably want to make sure that you check all of the most important boxes. To help you find the best places to live in and around Dubuque, AreaVibes has created a livability score using key metrics like cost of living, weather, education, employment, housing and more.
Dubuque, IA receives 74 out of 100 for its livability score; this results in a ranking of #316 in Iowa and #6,097 in the USA. If we dig a little deeper into each category within the livability score, we see that Dubuque has higher than average grades for the following: amenities (A+), cost of living (B) and education (A+). On a more negative note, Dubuque does not have favorable ranks for the following: weather (F) and housing (F). If we take a look at the data, we can find out why.
Based on the proximity of local amenities like grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops, parks, librairies, etc., Dubuque has received a higher than average score for its local amenities. If you’re planning on relocating and making this area your permanent home, it’s nice to know that there is an ample amount of amenities and things to do within walking distance or a short drive. Some of the notable things to do include: National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, Fenelon Place Elevator Co., and Diamond Jo Casino.
Knowing that the Dubuque schools rank highly for test scores plays an important factor in deciding if this area is the right place to live. The average school test scores are 69%, which is far higher than the national average.
There are many factors that go into deciding if an area is the right fit for your lifestyle. Certain “must haves” like low crime, great schools and nearby amenities are all at the top of most people's lists. But before even considering if those options are available, most people will need to know if the real estate in Dubuque is actually affordable. Median real estate prices in Dubuque come in at $133,400, which is 0.5% higher than the Iowa average. The home price to income ratio compares the median home prices to the median household income. In Dubuque, the home price to income ratio is 2.8, which is 16.7% higher than the Iowa average. For most people, purchasing a new home is the biggest investment they will make in their lifetime. Taking a look at overall real estate appreciation rates in Dubuque will offer some insight into determining if your home purchase will be a solid investment for years to come. In Dubuque, the year-over-year appreciation rates were 1.4%, and the 5 year appreciation rates came in at 2.1%.
| Statistic | Dubuque | Iowa | National |
| Average one way commute | 15min | 19min | 26min |
| Workers who drive to work | 78.9% | 80.7% | 76.4% |
| Workers who carpool | 9.4% | 8.6% | 9.3% |
| Workers who take public transit | 1.7% | 1.1% | 5.1% |
| Workers who bicycle | 0.4% | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Workers who walk | 4.9% | 3.5% | 2.8% |
| Working from home | 3.8% | 4.5% | 4.6% |
| Walk | Bike | Compact | Car | S.U.V. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distance | |||||
| Duration | |||||
| Cost/Month |
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