County profile

Dubuque County

Iowa · ACS 2020–2024

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Latest estimates

At a glance

U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Total population
99,030
Median household income
$77,630
People below poverty
9.7%
Median home value
$237,300

Income

The median income of households in Dubuque County, Iowa was $77,630. An estimated 4.4% of households had income below $10,000 a year and 8.4% had income of $200,000 or more.

Household Income in Dubuque County, Iowa in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than $10,000 4.4
$10,000 to $14,999 3.2
$15,000 to $24,999 6
$25,000 to $34,999 6.8
$35,000 to $49,999 11.3
$50,000 to $74,999 16.4
$75,000 to $99,999 14.2
$100,000 to $149,999 20.2
$150,000 to $199,999 9.1
$200,000 or more 8.4

Median Earnings for Full-Time Year-Round Workers by Sex in Dubuque County, Iowa in 2020-2024

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Dollars
Male 63723
Female 51515

An estimated 78.4% of households received earnings. An estimated 32.1% of households received Social Security and an estimated 26.1 % of households received retirement income other than Social Security. The average income from Social Security was $25,606. These income sources are not mutually exclusive; that is, some households received income from more than one source.

Proportion of Households with Various Income Sources in Dubuque County, Iowa in 2020-2024

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Percent
Earnings 78.4
Social Security 32.1
Retirement income 26.1
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 4.2
Cash public assistance income 1.6

Poverty and Participation in Government Programs

In 2020-2024, 9.7 % of people were in poverty. An estimated 10.6% of children under 18 were below the poverty level, compared with 9.5% of people 65 years old and over. An estimated 9.3% of people 18 to 64 years were below the poverty level.

Poverty Rates in Dubuque County, Iowa in 2020-2024

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Percent
People in poverty 9.7
Children under 18 years below poverty 10.6
People 65 years old and over below poverty 9.5
People 18 to 64 years below poverty 9.3

In 2020-2024, 8 % of households received SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). An estimated 45% of households that received SNAP had children under 18, and 26.7% of households that received SNAP had one or more people 60 years and over. An estimated 30.8% of all households receiving SNAP were families with a female householder and no spouse present.


Among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in Dubuque County, Iowa in 2020-2024, 96.5% had health insurance coverage and 3.5% did not have health insurance coverage. Private coverage was 77.8% and public coverage was 34.6%, respectively. The percentage of children under the age of 19 with no health insurance coverage was 2.2%.


In 2020-2024, Dubuque County, Iowa had a total population of 99,030 - 49,882 (50.4%) females and 49,148 (49.6%) males. The median age was 39.1 years. An estimated 22.5% of the population was under 18 years, 31.5% was 19 to 44 years, 23.7% was 45 to 64 years, and 19.3 % was 65 years and older.

Population by Age and Sex for Dubuque County, Iowa in 2020-2024

Male Female
Under 5 3022 2813
5 to 9 3599 3340
10 to 14 2737 2922
15 to 19 3561 3237
20 to 24 3478 3306
25 to 29 3202 3126
30 to 34 3102 2852
35 to 39 3394 3267
40 to 44 2756 2628
45 to 49 2473 2521
50 to 54 2778 2767
55 to 59 3113 3102
60 to 64 3378 3404
65 to 69 2936 2964
70 to 74 2363 2710
75 to 79 1302 1773
80 to 84 1044 1398
85 and over 910 1752

Hispanic Origin and Race

For people reporting one race alone, 88.9% were White; 3% were Black or African American; 5.3% were American Indian and Alaska Native; 1.4% were Asian; 1.1% were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 0% were Some Other Race. An estimated 5% reported Two or More Races. An estimated 3.3% of the people in Dubuque County, Iowa were Hispanic or Latino. An estimated 88.3% of the people in Dubuque County, Iowa were White alone, non-Hispanic. People of Hispanic origin may be of any race.


Households and Families

In 2020-2024, there were 40,989 households in Dubuque County, Iowa. The average household size was 2.31 people.

Married-couple households made up 50.3% of the households in Dubuque County, Iowa while cohabiting couple households made up 7.4% of households. Female householders with no spouse or partner present were 23.6% of all households, while 18.7% of households had male householders with no spouse or partner present. Some households had one person, as 14.6% of households were male householders living alone, and 16.1% were female householders living alone, for a total of 30.7% of all households.

In Dubuque County, Iowa, 27.9% of all households had one or more people under the age of 18; 30.8% of all households had one or more people 65 years and over.

Types of Households in Dubuque County, Iowa in 2020-2024

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Percent
Married-couple households 50.3
Cohabiting Couples 7.4
Male Householder
No spouse/partner present
18.7
Female Householder
No spouse/partner present
23.6

Marital Status

Among persons 15 and older, 53.6% of males and 51.9% of females were currently married.

Population 15 years and over Percent
Males
Percent
Females
Never married 37 29.9
Now married, except separated 53.6 51.9
Separated 0.5 1.1
Widowed 2.4 7.9
Divorced 6.6 9.2

Grandparents and Grandchildren

In Dubuque County, Iowa, 985 grandparents lived with their grandchildren under 18 years old. Of those grandparents, 30.3% were responsible for the basic needs of their grandchildren.


Nativity and Foreign-Born

In 2020-2024, an estimated 96.7% of the people living in Dubuque County, Iowa were U.S. natives. 74.4% of the Dubuque County, Iowa population were living in the state where they were born.

Approximately 3.3% of Dubuque County, Iowa residents in 2020-2024 were foreign-born. 36.2% of foreign-born were naturalized U.S. citizens and an estimated 57.6 % entered the country before the year 2010.

Foreign-born residents of Dubuque County, Iowa come from different parts of the world. The bar graph below displays the percentage of foreign-born from each world region of birth in 2020-2024 for Dubuque County, Iowa.

Region of Birth for the Foreign-Born Population in Dubuque County, Iowa in 2020-2024

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Percent
Latin America 24.8
Asia 36.2
Europe 17.1
Africa 6.3
Northern America 2.7
Oceania 12.9

Language

Among people at least five years old living in Dubuque County, Iowa in 2020-2024, 4.8 % spoke a language other than English at home. Spanish was spoken by 2.3% of people at least five years old; 1.3% reported that they did not speak English "very well."

Percentage of the Population 5 years and over who Speak a Language other than English in Dubuque County, Iowa in 2020-2024

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Percent
Spanish 2.3
Other Indo-European languages 1
Asian and Pacific Islander languages 1.3
Other languages 0.2

Geographic Mobility

In 2020-2024, 89.7 % of the people at least one year old living in Dubuque County, Iowa were living in the same house one year earlier.

Geographic Mobility of Residents of Dubuque County, Iowa in 2020-2024

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Percent
Same house 89.7
Different house, same county 5.2
Different county, same state 2.2
Different state 2.7
Abroad 0.1

Education

In 2020-2024, 93.9 % of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 33.4% had a bachelor's degree or higher. An estimated 6.1% did not complete high school.

The total school enrollment in Dubuque County, Iowa was 23,637 in 2020-2024. Nursery school enrollment was 1,589 and kindergarten through 12th grade enrollment was 16,006. College or graduate school enrollment was 6,042.

Educational Attainment of People in Dubuque County, Iowa in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than high school diploma 6.1
High school diploma or equivalency 32.1
Some college, no degree 17.7
Associate's degree 10.7
Bachelor's degree 21.8
Graduate or professional degree 11.6

Disability

In Dubuque County, Iowa, among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in 2020-2024, 11 % reported a disability. The likelihood of having a disability varied by age - from 2.7% of people under 18 years old, to 9.5% of people 18 to 64 years old, and to 25.7% of those 65 and over.


Employment Status and Type of Employer

In Dubuque County, Iowa, 64.3 % of the population 16 and over were employed; 33.2% were not currently in the labor force.

An estimated 84.4% of the people employed were private wage and salary workers; 10.5% were federal, state, or local government workers; and 4.9 % were self-employed in their own (not incorporated) business.

Class of worker Number Percent
Private wage and salary workers 43,188 84.4
Federal, state, or local government workers 5,371 10.5
Self-employed workers in own not incorporated business 2,500 4.9

Industries

In 2020-2024, the civilian employed population 16 years and older in Dubuque County, Iowa worked in the following industries:

Percent by Industry in Dubuque County, Iowa in 2020-2024

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Percent
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 1.9
Construction 5.4
Manufacturing 17.4
Wholesale trade 3.3
Retail trade 11.7
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 4.8
Information 1.5
Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing 8.4
Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services 6.9
Educational services, and health care and social assistance 24.8
Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation, and food services 7.4
Other Services, except public administration 4.4
Public administration 2

Occupations

Occupations for the Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and over in Dubuque County, Iowa in 2020-2024

Civilian employed population 16 years and over Number Percent
Management, business, sciences, and arts occupations 19,954 39
Service occupations 7,689 15
Sales and office occupations 10,816 21.1
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 3,533 6.9
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 9,194 18

Commuting to Work

An estimated 78.7% of Dubuque County, Iowa workers drove to work alone in 2020-2024, and 5.2% carpooled. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 16.7 minutes to get to work.

Percent of Workers 16 and over Commuting by Mode in Dubuque County, Iowa in 2020-2024

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Percent
Car, truck, van -- drove alone 78.7
Car, truck, van -- carpooled 5.2
Public transportation (excluding taxicab) 0.8
Walked 2.3
Other means 1
Worked from home 12

In 2020-2024, Dubuque County, Iowa had a total of 43,288 housing units. Of these housing units, 74.9% were single-family houses either not attached to any other structure or attached to one or more structures (commonly referred to as "townhouses" or "row houses"). 21.9% of the housing units were located in multi-unit structures, or those buildings that contained two or more apartments. 3.2% were mobile homes, while any remaining housing units were classified as "other," which included boats, recreational vehicles, vans, etc.

Types of Housing Units in Dubuque County, Iowa in 2020-2024

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Percent
Single-family houses 74.9
Apartments in multi-unit structures 21.9
Mobile homes 3.2
Boat, RV, van, etc 0

10.7% of the housing inventory was comprised of houses built since 2010, while 23.8% of the houses were first built in 1939 or earlier. The median number of rooms in all housing units in Dubuque County, Iowa was 6.1 rooms, and of these housing units 66.8% had three or more bedrooms.


In 2020-2024, Dubuque County, Iowa had 40,989 housing units that were occupied or had people living in them, while the remaining 2,299 were vacant. Of the occupied housing units, the percentage of these houses occupied by owners (also known as the homeownership rate) was 73.3% while renters occupied 26.7%. The average household size of owner-occupied houses was 2.47 and in renter-occupied houses it was 1.88.

4.2% of householders of these occupied houses had moved into their house since 2021, while 12.1% moved into their house in 1989 or earlier. Households without a vehicle available for personal use comprised 6.1% and another 23% had three or more vehicles available for use.

The following chart provides the primary fuel used to heat houses in Dubuque County, Iowa:

House Heating Fuel Used in Dubuque County, Iowa in 2020-2024

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Percent
Gas 81.5
Electricity 15.3
Fuel oil, kerosene, etc 0.7
All other fuels 2.1
No fuel used 0.4

In 2020-2024, the median property value for owner-occupied houses in Dubuque County, Iowa was $237,300.

Of the owner-occupied households, 61.5 % had a mortgage. 38.5% owned their houses "free and clear," that is without a primary mortgage or loan on the house. The median monthly housing costs for owners with a mortgage was $1,562 and for owners without a mortgage it was $645.

For renter-occupied houses, the median gross rent for Dubuque County, Iowa was $959. Gross rent includes the monthly contract rent and any monthly payments made for electricity, gas, water and sewer, and any other fuels to heat the house.