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COUNTY

Dubuque County

Iowa · 99,381 residents (2025 est.) · 608 sq mi
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The short version

Dubuque County is home to 99,030 people in Iowa. That puts it in the top 6% of US counties for household income. 3% of locals were born outside the United States. The average commute runs 17 minutes. Owners hold 73% of the housing stock. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $237,300.

At a glance
Lower income
median household income $77,630, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.1
US median: 38.9
Average education
33% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 42%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Dubuque County

What changed most since 1990

  • White share98.5% → 88.3% (−10.3 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts

Among the 99 counties in Iowa

  • 21st in household income$77,630
  • 9th in share with a bachelor's degree33.4%
  • 11th in home value$237,300
  • 31st in diversity score27.2
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
99,030
+11%since 2000
from 89,143 in 2000
99,381 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
163 / sq mi
+11%since 2000
from 147 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
39.1
+7%since 2000
from 36.5 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
608 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
85K89K93K97K101K19902000201020202024Dubuque County
202499K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.9%(5,835)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 97%(6,939)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.7%(5,659)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.9%(6,798)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.9%(6,784)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3412.4%(12,282)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.2%(12,045)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.6%(10,539)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413.1%(12,997)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7411.1%(10,973)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.6%(5,517)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.7%(2,662)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$77,630
+8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $39,582 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$41,404
+111%since 2000
from $19,600 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
51.9%
+25.5 ptssince 2009
from 26.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
9.7%
+1.9 ptssince 2000
from 7.8% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.443
+4%since 2010
from 0.426 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade17.4%
US avg: 9.9%
Information11.7%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services8.4%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration7.6%
US avg: 4.8%
Wholesale trade5.4%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance4.8%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.4%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing3.3%
US avg: 2.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.9%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction1.8%
US avg: 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.5%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.5%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$237,300
+42%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $91,900 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$959
+21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $434 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
73.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2000
from 73.5% in 2000
26.7% rent
Vacancy rate
5.3%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 4.7% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.31 people
−3%since 2009
from 2.37 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
17.2%
−2.5 ptssince 2009
from 19.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
42.2%
+3.3 ptssince 2009
from 39.0% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.1
+12%since 2009
from 2.7 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
67
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic96.5%(86,020)
Black0.8%(736)
Hispanic / Latino1.2%(1,065)
Asian0.6%(509)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic88.3%(87,398)
Black2.9%(2,890)
Hispanic / Latino3.3%(3,234)
Asian1.3%(1,326)
Other4.2%(4,182)
Diversity Score
27
+119%since 2009
from 12 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
26
−5%since 2020
from 28 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican2.1%(2,056)
Puerto Rican0.4%(417)
Peruvian0.1%(92)
Honduran0.1%(83)
Cuban0.1%(70)
Spaniard0.1%(60)
Guatemalan0.1%(58)
+ 2 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Filipino0.4%(414)
Asian Indian0.3%(308)
Burmese0.2%(198)
Chinese0.2%(184)
Vietnamese0.1%(71)
Korean0.1%(60)
Japanese0%(18)
Pacific Islander origin
Marshallese0.8%(765)
Chamorro0.1%(66)
Ancestry
German44.7%(44,217)
Irish19.4%(19,172)
English6.7%(6,609)
American5.1%(5,087)
Norwegian2.6%(2,526)
Italian2.1%(2,068)
French1.8%(1,758)
Dutch1.4%(1,359)
Polish1.2%(1,174)
Swedish1.1%(1,103)
Czech0.8%(789)
Scottish0.8%(784)
+ 38 more ancestry groups with data
Swiss0.6%(587)
Danish0.5%(460)
Belgian0.3%(277)
Scotch-Irish0.3%(252)
Greek0.2%(201)
Russian0.2%(164)
Arab0.2%(163)
Welsh0.2%(163)
British0.2%(150)
West Indian0.1%(138)
Austrian0.1%(119)
Lebanese0.1%(114)
Barbadian0.1%(112)
Hungarian0.1%(110)
Romanian0.1%(82)
Finnish0.1%(70)
Ghanaian0.1%(68)
Slovak0.1%(61)
Ukrainian0.1%(59)
Lithuanian0.1%(54)
Slovene0%(41)
Iranian0%(33)
Canadian0%(31)
Iraqi0%(24)
Brazilian0%(24)
Nigerian0%(20)
Croatian0%(18)
Israeli0%(17)
Latvian0%(16)
Moroccan0%(11)
Serbian0%(10)
Syrian0%(6)
Somali0%(3)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
33.4%
+12.0 ptssince 2000
from 21.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
93.9%
+8.7 ptssince 2000
from 85.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
11.6%
+4.8 ptssince 2000
from 6.8% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
16.7 min
+61%since 2000
from 10.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
78.7%
−2.7 ptssince 2009
from 81.4% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
5.2%
−3.2 ptssince 2009
from 8.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.8%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.6% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
12.0%
+7.7 ptssince 2009
from 4.3% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.3%
−2.0 ptssince 2009
from 4.3% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.2%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.1%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 6.5% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.7%
−1.4 ptssince 2011
from 5.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
66.8%
−4.1 ptssince 2011
from 70.9% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
83.8%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 82.0% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
12.4%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 12.0% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
39.0%
+6.0 ptssince 2009
from 33.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.6%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 48.8% in 2009
Female
50.4%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 51.2% in 2009
Foreign born
3.3%
+1.7 ptssince 2009
from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
5.9%
−4.7 ptssince 2009
from 10.7% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
11.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2012
from 11.2% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
3.5%
−2.6 ptssince 2013
from 6.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
90.0%
+10.7 ptssince 2017
from 79.3% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
94.8%
+3.5 ptssince 2020
from 91.3% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
89.7%
+2.9 ptssince 2020
from 86.9% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
95.2%
−1.5 ptssince 2016
from 96.7% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
2.3%
+0.9 ptssince 2016
from 1.4% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married37%(14,706)
Married54.1%(21,513)
Widowed2.4%(946)
Divorced6.6%(2,625)
Women 15+
Never married29.9%(12,202)
Married53%(21,634)
Widowed7.9%(3,206)
Divorced9.2%(3,765)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
3.5%
−2.6 ptssince 2013
from 6.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
64.6%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 65.2% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
16.2%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 15.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
20.3%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 19.3% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
17.0%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 16.6% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.9%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 2.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
77.8%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 78.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
34.6%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 33.6% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)19.9%(906)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)16.6%(756)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era41.6%(1,893)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War6.2%(283)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.3%(58)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 4,555 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Dubuque County, decade by decade

Dubuque County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
199086,403$67,864$128,16416.8%3.6
200089,143$72,105$167,41021.3%8.6
201093,653$69,876$196,79625.3%17.0
202099,266$78,168$212,47031.4%27.8
202499,030$77,630$237,30033.4%27.2

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

Places similar to Dubuque County

St. Clair County
Pop 98,206
Rockdale County
Pop 98,416
Sutter County
Pop 98,787
Barrow County
Pop 99,773
Places similar to Dubuque County
Head to head

Compare Dubuque County to nearby counties

DUBUQUE COUNTY VS
Delaware County
Income$74,989−3%
Home value$177,900−25%
Population17,674−82%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DUBUQUE COUNTY VS
Jackson County
Income$74,186−4%
Home value$175,000−26%
Population19,288−81%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DUBUQUE COUNTY VS
Jones County
Income$73,531−5%
Home value$184,800−22%
Population21,253−79%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DUBUQUE COUNTY VS
Grant County
Income$66,858−14%
Home value$200,700−15%
Population52,446−47%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Dubuque County, Iowa?

Dubuque County, Iowa has about 99,030 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Dubuque County, Iowa?

The typical household in Dubuque County, Iowa earns about $77,630 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Dubuque County, Iowa expensive?

In Dubuque County, Iowa, the median home is worth about $237,300, and the typical rent is about $959 a month.

How educated are people in Dubuque County, Iowa?

About 33.4% of adults age 25 and over in Dubuque County, Iowa hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Dubuque County, Iowa?

About 9.7% of people in Dubuque County, Iowa live below the federal poverty line.

Has Dubuque County, Iowa grown since 1990?

Yes, Dubuque County, Iowa has grown since 1990. The population has added about 12,627 residents, a change of about 15 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →