Dubuque, IA Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Dubuque, IA

What is Dubuque's overall crime grade and what does it mean?

Dubuque earns an overall crime grade of B+, which places it well above average for safety compared to similarly sized U.S. cities. A B+ grade means the vast majority of residents go about their daily lives without encountering serious crime. For a city of approximately 67,916 people situated along the Mississippi River, this grade reflects consistent law enforcement efforts, engaged neighborhoods, and relatively stable socioeconomic conditions. The city's median household income of $54,938 and a comparatively low median rent of $807 help sustain community stability, which in turn supports safer outcomes across most of Dubuque's neighborhoods.

How safe is Dubuque compared to national averages?

With a B+ safety grade, Dubuque outperforms a significant share of American cities its size. The city's poverty rate of 13.2% and unemployment rate of 4.8% are factors that researchers commonly link to crime levels, yet Dubuque manages to keep both property and violent crime rates below what those figures might suggest. Population density sits at a moderate 725 residents per square mile, which means the city avoids the concentrated crime pressures often seen in denser urban cores. Nationally, cities with similar population sizes frequently score in the C range — Dubuque's B+ puts it in a notably safer tier.

Which Dubuque neighborhoods tend to have lower crime rates?

Areas on the West End of Dubuque, neighborhoods surrounding the University of Dubuque campus, and communities near Washington Park consistently show lower reported incident concentrations on the crime map. These areas benefit from active neighborhood associations, higher homeownership rates tied to the city's median home value of $147,550, and proximity to parks and civic amenities that encourage community presence. Suburban edges of the city also tend to record fewer incidents per capita. Consulting the interactive crime map on this page allows you to filter by crime type and time period to compare specific corridors in real time.

What types of crime are most common in Dubuque?

Like most mid-sized Midwestern cities, Dubuque's crime profile is dominated by property crime rather than violent crime. Theft-related incidents — including vehicle break-ins and shoplifting near commercial corridors — account for the largest share of reported offenses. Vandalism and burglary appear periodically, particularly in higher-traffic retail zones. Violent crimes such as assault are comparatively rare and tend to be concentrated in a smaller number of blocks rather than spread city-wide. Substance-related offenses also appear in the data, consistent with trends seen across Iowa. The city's B+ grade reflects the fact that serious violent crime remains a relatively small percentage of overall incidents.

Is Dubuque a good place to live from a safety and affordability standpoint?

By most measurable indicators, yes. Dubuque's B+ crime grade combines with a median home value of just $147,550 and a median rent of $807 to create one of the more affordable and comparatively safe living environments in the Midwest. The unemployment rate of 4.8% signals a functioning local economy, and the poverty rate of 13.2%, while worth monitoring, has not translated into the elevated crime rates seen in peer cities with similar poverty levels. Families considering neighborhoods near the West End or around Washington Park will find areas where the crime map shows consistently lower incident density, good school access, and strong community engagement — all of which contribute to quality of life well beyond what raw numbers alone can capture.

How should I use the Dubuque crime map to make informed decisions?

The crime map is most useful when you treat it as a trend tool rather than a real-time alarm. Start by filtering for the past 90 days to identify whether a neighborhood's activity is rising, falling, or stable. Pay attention to crime type: a cluster of vehicle thefts in a parking corridor is a very different signal than a cluster of assaults. Because Dubuque scores a B+ overall, most areas of the city will appear relatively quiet on the map — focus your attention on the handful of blocks that show repeated incidents across multiple categories. Cross-reference what you see with the city's poverty rate data (13.2%) and population density (725 per sq mi) to understand whether elevated spots reflect structural factors or isolated events. The Dubuque Police Department's official crime information page is a reliable companion resource for context on any patterns you observe.