Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety72#263/924
Economy86#129/925
Housing74#244/925
Health94#53/925
Healthcare86#127/923
Environment64#333/917
Education88#114/925
Infrastructure90#90/925
Community86#131/925
Leisure & amenities76#222/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Dubuque, IA metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Mammography screening · high60.0%
97/100Iowa 57.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Uninsured residents (under 65) · low4.3%
97/100Iowa 6.4%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Traffic deaths · low6.9 /100k
96/100Iowa 11.0 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAggregated from counties
Drug overdose deaths · low6.8 /100k
96/100Iowa 9.4 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Lack of reliable transportation · low6.6%
96/100Iowa 7.2%United States 8.3%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Flu vaccinations · high54.0%
95/100Iowa 51.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Preventable hospital stays · high6,707 /100k
0/100Iowa 2,368 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
New business applications · low8.2 /1k
11/100Iowa 10.8 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Distance to an Amtrak station · high91 mi
19/100Iowa 60 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Job growth · low-1.5%
22/100Iowa -0.1%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Effective property tax rate · high1.15%
25/100Iowa 1.33%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Social associations · low9.8 /10k
38/100Iowa 14.3 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureImproving
47% (2021) → 5% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−42 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
67.3% (2010 & 2021) → 82.6% (2022 & 2024)
+15 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
17.2 /100k (2021) → 6.8 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−60%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Income adjusted for local pricesImproving
$55,066 (2019) → $76,026 (2024)
+38%5 yearsUS $55,567 → $73,204
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
82.5% (2015-2019) → 90.0% (2020-2024)
+7.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Suicide rateImproving
22.3 /100k (2021) → 14.2 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−36%5 yearsUS 14.5 /100k → 14.1 /100k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Dubuque, IA metro area improved on 11 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 9. 7 moved within the margin of error and 5 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved11

Real income+38%$55,066 → $76,026
Poverty−1.8 points11.4% → 9.7%
Child poverty−3.3 points13.9% → 10.6%
Overdose deaths−33%10.1 /100k → 6.8 /100k
Bachelor's++2.6 points30.8% → 33.4%

Declined9

New businesses−13%9.3 /1k → 8.2 /1k
Homicides+42%1.9 /100k → 2.7 /100k
Firearm deaths+41%8.6 /100k → 12.1 /100k
Arts & recreation−9.9%6.1 /10k → 5.5 /10k
Grocery stores−12%1.7 /10k → 1.5 /10k

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Dubuque, IA metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	6.1 /10k2020	5.5 /10k2025	−9.9%	Declined	15%
Average commute time	16.7 min2015-2019	16.7 min2020-2024	+0.0 min	Within the margin of error	65%
Average weekly wage	$9682020	$1,1642025	+20%	Improved	23%
Bachelor's degree or higher	30.8%2015-2019	33.4%2020-2024	+2.6 points	Improved	45%
Broadband subscriptions	82.5%2015-2019	90.0%2020-2024	+7.5 points	Improved	30%
Child poverty rate	13.9%2015-2019	10.6%2020-2024	−3.3 points	Improved	60%
Distance to an airport	64 mi2020	64 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	10.1 /100k2020	6.8 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−33%	Improved	60%
Effective property tax rate	1.35%2015-2019	1.15%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	73%
Firearm deaths	8.6 /100k2020	12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+41%	Declined	13%
Grocery stores	1.7 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	−12%	Declined	21%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.5 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	−13%	Declined	23%
High school diploma or higher	92.7%2015-2019	93.9%2020-2024	+1.2 points	Within the margin of error	37%
Home price to income ratio	2.6×2015-2019	3.1×2020-2024	+0.4×	Declined	54%
Homicide rate	1.9 /100k2020	2.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+42%	Declined	7%
Income adjusted for local prices	$55,0662019	$76,0262024	+38%	Improved	85%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4482015-2019	0.4432020-2024	−0.005	Within the margin of error	69%
Median household income	$63,0312015-2019	$77,6302020-2024	+23%	Improved	29%
New business applications	9.3 /1k2020	8.2 /1k2025	−13%	Declined	2%
Pharmacies	1.7 /10k2020	1.7 /10k2025	−0.1%	Little change	72%
Poverty rate	11.4%2015-2019	9.7%2020-2024	−1.8 points	Improved	68%
Property crime rate	1,483 /100k2020	1,025 /100k2025	−31%	Improved	44%
Public libraries	0.8 /10k2019	0.8 /10k2024	−1.6%	Little change	52%
Public transit commuters	1.0%2015-2019	0.8%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	56%
Rent as share of income	26.4%2015-2019	27.9%2020-2024	+1.5 points	Within the margin of error	27%
Rent-burdened households	43.6%2015-2019	45.8%2020-2024	+2.1 points	Within the margin of error	38%
Restaurants and bars	10.3 /10k2020	9.7 /10k2025	−5.9%	Declined	22%
Suicide rate	12.1 /100k2020	14.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+17%	Declined	28%
Traffic deaths	6.6 /100k2015-2019	6.9 /100k2020-2024	+4.2%	Little change	55%
Unemployment rate	6.0%2020	3.5%2025	−2.5 points	Improved	35%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	4.4%2015-2019	4.3%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	47%
Violent crime rate	293 /100k2020	274 /100k2025	−6.5%	Improved	36%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Dubuque, IA metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Dubuque, IA metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Dubuque, IA metro area itself moved −4.7 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

99,030 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

40,989 households (±363)

Dubuque, IA metro area
United States share

Under $25k14%5,552
$25k–50k18%7,425
$50k–75k16%6,729

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

40,989 households (±363)

Dubuque, IA metro area
United States share

Own73%30,062
Rent27%10,927

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

50,370 workers (±905)

Dubuque, IA metro area
United States share

Drive alone79%39,626
Carpool5.2%2,640
Public transit0.8%†382

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Dubuque, IA employ 13,340 people. 2 pay a median above the US median and 8 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Dubuque, IA by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Customer Service Representatives1,880 jobs	1,880	$46,670US $44,770	+4%	1.92×
Retail Salespersons1,810 jobs	1,810	$30,960US $35,410	−13%	1.23×
Fast Food and Counter Workers1,600 jobs	1,600	$28,680US $31,200	−8%	1.1×
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers1,310 jobs	1,310	$58,470US $58,640	0%	1.69×
Registered Nurses1,280 jobs	1,280	$76,790US $97,550	−21%	1.0×
Cashiers1,240 jobs	1,240	$30,500US $32,880	−7%	1.07×
General and Operations Managers1,170 jobs	1,170	$92,530US $105,770	−13%	0.89×
Home Health and Personal Care Aides1,020 jobs	1,020	$38,090US $35,800	+6%	0.63×
Stockers and Order Fillers1,020 jobs	1,020	$36,850US $37,330	−1%	0.96×
Nursing Assistants1,010 jobs	1,010	$41,580US $42,260	−2%	1.85×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Dubuque, IA.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Dubuque, IA has 2,804 employer establishments, 283 for every 10,000 residents (1.14× the US rate of 248), with 56,357 paid employees at an average annual pay of $55,436. The Census Bureau also counts 7,122 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 2,804; 7,122 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 283; US 248
Paid employees: 56,357
Average annual pay: $55,436; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Dubuque, IA by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	212	21.4	1.03×About typical	2,946	$75,451	234
Specialty trade contractors	198	20	1.29×More than typical	1,336	$72,972	539
Restaurants and other eating places	165	16.7	0.91×About typical	3,190	$18,972	23
Lessors of real estate	106	10.7	0.87×About typical	277	$39,823	945
Offices of other health practitioners	99	10	1.65×More than typical	465	$43,316	134
Construction of buildings	87	8.8	1.16×About typical	690	$73,459	244
Truck transportation	86	8.7	1.72×More than typical	3,366	$69,139	162
Services to buildings and dwellings	83	8.4	1.24×About typical	372	$37,919	383
Automotive repair and maintenance	79	8	1.59×More than typical	486	$36,733	71
Full-service restaurants	71	7.2	0.93×About typical	1,388	$19,284	7
Insurance agencies and brokerages	69	7	1.59×More than typical	2,336	$82,844	173
Building equipment contractors	66	6.7	1.11×About typical	729	$68,908	70

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 98,907 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $535K on contracts performed in Dubuque, IA metro area: $5.38 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $535K; −69% vs FY2025
Per resident: $5.38; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 27%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Army$378.2K71%
Agricultural Research Service$120.5K23%
U.S. Coast Guard$29.9K5.6%
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service$27.3K5.1%
Federal Acquisition Service$24.2K4.5%
Defense Logistics Agency$5490.1%

Top recipients

DUBUQUE BARGE AND FLEETING SERVICE CO$185.9K35%
JOHN DEERE SHARED SERVICES, LLC$120.5K23%
HJ CONTRACTING, LLC$67.9K13%
SUNTIFF, LLC$45.3K8.5%
LEGION SERVICE PROVIDER$39.6K7.4%

Spending by fiscal year

12.6MFY2017
1.9MFY2018
2.3MFY2019
4.9MFY2020
3.4MFY2021
1.6MFY2022
4.3MFY2023
6M

Top industries (NAICS)

Agriculture, construction, and mining machinery manufacturing · 3331$147.8K28%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$141.1K26%
Ship and boat building · 3366$135.9K25%
Other heavy and civil engineering construction · 2379$50K9.3%
Remediation and other waste management services · 5629$45.3K8.5%
Building equipment contractors · 2382

Largest awards

DRYDOCK REPAIRS OF USACE BARGES 857, 850 AND 913$725.4K
DUBUQUE BARGE AND FLEETING SERVICE CO· Dubuque County, IA· Equipment maintenance· Sep 29, 2025 – Jun 3, 2026· W912ES25FA030
GROUNDS SERVICES AT IA058 MULTIPLE SITES IN IOWA$335.5K
HJ CONTRACTING, LLC· Dubuque County, IA· Facilities & utilities· Aug 15, 2022 – May 29, 2026· W911SA22P3062
IA014 DUBUQUE, IA SNOW REMOVAL BASE + 4 OPTION YRS WITH 6 MO OPT. TO EXTEND$134.9K
LEGION SERVICE PROVIDER· Dubuque County, IA· Facilities & utilities· Mar 18, 2022 – Feb 20, 2026· W911SA22P3032
SKID STEER

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $746.2M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Dubuque, IA metro area: $7,508 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $746.2M; −4.2% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,508; US $12,955
Loan face value: $9.6M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 2.7%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$427.4M57%
93.774 · Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance$105.1M14%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$41.4M5.5%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$38M5.1%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$33.8M4.5%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$15.6M2.1%
10.988 · Supplemental Disaster Relief Program$13.1M1.8%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$11.9M1.6%

Top recipients (organizations)

IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$18.6M2.5%
AMES, IA
EASTERN IOWA REGIONAL HOUSING CORP$8.5M1.1%
DUBUQUE, IA
CITY OF DUBUQUE HOUSING DIVISION$8.1M1.1%
DUBUQUE, IA
CITY OF DUBUQUE$7.7M1.0%
DUBUQUE, IA
UNIVERSITY OF DUBUQUE$3.5M

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$514.5M69%
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services$106.3M14%
Department of Health and Human Services
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$43.6M5.8%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$18.6M2.5%
Department of Transportation
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing

Assistance by fiscal year

704.6MFY2021
635.3MFY2022
653MFY2023
700.6MFY2024
778.7MFY2025
746.2MFY2026

County aggregates

89%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Dubuque, IA

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Dubuque CountyCentral county9699,381

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

DubuquePrincipal city59,174

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Iowa

Areas based in Iowa, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M20220

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved11

Declined9

Metro and micro areas like Dubuque, IA metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Dubuque, IA

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Iowa

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved11

Declined9

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought