Demand-Backed Comparison

Compare Dubuque vs Madison on cost, climate, safety, and daily life

People have logged this comparison 6 times on WhyThere. The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.

DubuqueMadison
Open Dubuque city page

Dubuque

Iowa

City page
Madison
Photo by Nils Huenerfuerst on Unsplash

Madison

Wisconsin

City page

What Stands Out

A quick read on this comparison

Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.

Best for affordability: Dubuque, Iowa

Dubuque, Iowa looks like the easiest place here to live with less financial drag. It comes out ahead on rent burden and rent.

Potential dealbreaker: Madison, Wisconsin

Madison, Wisconsin needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on tax burden.

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Comparison Matrix

City
Dubuque View Map
Madison View Map
Route
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General Info
Population58,799280,305
Elevation620 ft(189 m)876 ft(267 m)
Housing & Wealth
Median Home
$236,247
$412,118
Median Rent
$1,012
$1,624
Median Income$63,520$74,895
Rent Burden19%26%
Climate & Risks
Sunny DaysN/A283 days/yr
Avg. HighN/A58°F
Comfort ScoreN/A42/100Challenging
Temp SwingN/A53°F
Annual RainfallN/A33"(84 cm)
Annual SnowfallN/A15"(38 cm)
Air QualityN/A
AQI 39 (Avg)0 days > 100
Infrastructure & Lifestyle
Walk ScoreN/A67
Transit ScoreN/A64
Safety Score0 (Crime Index)72 / 100
School Rating6/107.1/10
Internet Access
Fiber: 30%Cable: 93%
Fiber: 44%Cable: 95%
Demographics
Median Age37.9 years31.6 years
College Educated33%59%
Remote Workers9%15%
Nature Access
Local Nature & Reserves
Finding...
Finding...
Scouting & Local Help
Plan a first lookWays to plan a first visit or connect with a relevant local partner.
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