Grand Island, NE vs Dubuque, IA: cost of living compared
Price levels from BEA (2024); rent and home values from Zillow (September 2026).
The short answer
- Overall, living costs in Dubuque, IA and Grand Island, NE are within 1% of each other (BEA, 2024).
- To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Grand Island works out to about $75,600 in Dubuque, before taxes.
- Housing is 3.7% higher in Dubuque, goods 0.4% lower and other services 0.1% lower, which roughly cancel out.
- Typical asking rent is $1,063 a month in Dubuque and $1,340 in Grand Island, $3,324 a year less in Dubuque (Zillow, September 2026).
- A typical home is valued at about $277,000 in Dubuque and $255,000 in Grand Island.
- The gap is about where it was in 2019 (0.1%).
derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) and Zillow data. Based on an average household's spending; taxes not included. How we calculate.
Category by category
Both cities against the US average (100). The gap in each row is what matters for a move.
Overall prices are about the same in Grand Island and Dubuque
Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.
- Grand Island, NE
- Dubuque, IA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Grand Island, NE | Dubuque, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 86.7 | 87.3 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 93.7 |
| Housing (rents) | 61.7 | 64.0 |
| Utilities | 74.2 | 81.2 |
| Other services | 93.0 | 92.9 |
| Category | Grand Island | Dubuque | Dubuque vs Grand Island |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 86.7 | 87.3 | +0.8% |
| Goods | 94.1 | 93.7 | −0.4% |
| Housing (rents) | 61.7 | 64.0 | +3.7% |
| Utilities | 74.2 | 81.2 | +9.4% |
| Other services | 93.0 | 92.9 | −0.1% |
| Typical asking rent | $1,340 | $1,063 | −20.7% |
| Typical home value | $255,000 | $277,000 | +8.7% |
| Salary to match $75,000 in Grand Island | $75,000 | $75,600 | +0.8% |
Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Rent and home values: Data Provided by Zillow Group, September 2026.
How the gap has changed since 2008
The price gap between Grand Island and Dubuque has narrowed since 2008: 11.7 points then, 0.7 now
Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.
- Grand Island, NE
- Dubuque, IA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Grand Island, NE | Dubuque, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 81.8 | 93.4 |
| 2009 | 82.3 | 92.6 |
| 2010 | 88.1 | 91.7 |
| 2011 | 89.2 | 91.3 |
| 2012 | 85.0 | 91.8 |
| 2013 | 86.9 | 92.5 |
| 2014 | 83.3 | 92.8 |
| 2015 | 87.3 | 91.3 |
| 2016 | 87.7 | 91.2 |
| 2017 | 83.2 | 91.5 |
| 2018 | 88.1 | 90.5 |
| 2019 | 90.0 | 89.9 |
| 2020 | 90.5 | 89.8 |
| 2021 | 89.1 | 88.1 |
| 2022 | 86.7 | 86.4 |
| 2023 | 87.1 | 89.1 |
| 2024 | 86.7 | 87.3 |
Goods
- Grand Island, NE
- Dubuque, IA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Grand Island, NE | Dubuque, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 78.2 | 99.4 |
| 2009 | 85.4 | 97.8 |
| 2010 | 93.8 | 96.5 |
| 2011 | 94.6 | 96.1 |
| 2012 | 95.3 | 97.2 |
| 2013 | 94.0 | 97.1 |
| 2014 | 95.1 | 98.5 |
| 2015 | 95.8 | 98.2 |
| 2016 | 94.2 | 97.5 |
| 2017 | 93.7 | 96.1 |
| 2018 | 94.6 | 95.8 |
| 2019 | 97.2 | 97.2 |
| 2020 | 96.0 | 95.5 |
| 2021 | 94.6 | 94.1 |
| 2022 | 93.9 | 93.3 |
| 2023 | 96.5 | 96.6 |
| 2024 | 94.1 | 93.7 |
Housing (rents)
- Grand Island, NE
- Dubuque, IA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Grand Island, NE | Dubuque, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 60.8 | 69.2 |
| 2009 | 51.2 | 67.3 |
| 2010 | 65.2 | 65.3 |
| 2011 | 73.0 | 71.3 |
| 2012 | 47.8 | 71.4 |
| 2013 | 59.2 | 72.9 |
| 2014 | 44.0 | 73.2 |
| 2015 | 67.6 | 70.3 |
| 2016 | 72.0 | 69.9 |
| 2017 | 50.9 | 75.0 |
| 2018 | 57.9 | 65.2 |
| 2019 | 63.4 | 62.1 |
| 2020 | 66.1 | 64.9 |
| 2021 | 61.4 | 59.4 |
| 2022 | 58.1 | 61.6 |
| 2023 | 60.9 | 67.8 |
| 2024 | 61.7 | 64.0 |
Utilities
- Grand Island, NE
- Dubuque, IA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Grand Island, NE | Dubuque, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 72.2 | 90.4 |
| 2009 | 73.7 | 91.3 |
| 2010 | 78.3 | 89.8 |
| 2011 | 74.6 | 90.6 |
| 2012 | 77.5 | 91.1 |
| 2013 | 79.6 | 89.9 |
| 2014 | 77.8 | 85.5 |
| 2015 | 79.7 | 83.4 |
| 2016 | 80.9 | 82.6 |
| 2017 | 80.9 | 89.1 |
| 2018 | 86.3 | 95.5 |
| 2019 | 84.8 | 93.9 |
| 2020 | 85.1 | 94.5 |
| 2021 | 85.5 | 96.9 |
| 2022 | 82.4 | 95.2 |
| 2023 | 76.9 | 85.1 |
| 2024 | 74.2 | 81.2 |
Other services
- Grand Island, NE
- Dubuque, IA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Grand Island, NE | Dubuque, IA | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 93.4 | 99.5 |
| 2009 | 93.7 | 99.0 |
| 2010 | 93.3 | 98.5 |
| 2011 | 92.6 | 95.3 |
| 2012 | 94.6 | 96.1 |
| 2013 | 92.7 | 97.1 |
| 2014 | 92.7 | 96.3 |
| 2015 | 89.4 | 94.7 |
| 2016 | 88.6 | 96.2 |
| 2017 | 88.0 | 94.8 |
| 2018 | 96.5 | 96.2 |
| 2019 | 96.7 | 96.3 |
| 2020 | 96.7 | 96.2 |
| 2021 | 95.9 | 95.3 |
| 2022 | 92.5 | 92.0 |
| 2023 | 91.9 | 92.3 |
| 2024 | 93.0 | 92.9 |
Rent and home values
Typical asking rent: $1,063 in Dubuque vs $1,340 in Grand Island
Typical asking rent for a new lease, dollars per month. Quarterly.
- Grand Island, NE
- Dubuque, IA
- United States
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (typical asking rent, all homes, smoothed), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Grand Island, NE | Dubuque, IA | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | – | – | $1,145 |
| Jun 2015 | – | – | $1,170 |
| Sep 2015 | – | – | $1,181 |
| Dec 2015 | – | – | $1,182 |
| Mar 2016 | – | – | $1,195 |
| Jun 2016 | – | – | $1,219 |
| Sep 2016 | – | – | $1,225 |
| Dec 2016 | – | – | $1,222 |
| Mar 2017 | – | – | $1,245 |
| Jun 2017 | – | – | $1,270 |
| Sep 2017 | – | – | $1,276 |
| Dec 2017 | – | – | $1,275 |
| Mar 2018 | – | – | $1,296 |
| Jun 2018 | – | – | $1,320 |
| Sep 2018 | – | – | $1,327 |
| Dec 2018 | – | – | $1,329 |
| Mar 2019 | – | – | $1,349 |
| Jun 2019 | – | – | $1,376 |
| Sep 2019 | – | – | $1,383 |
| Dec 2019 | – | – | $1,381 |
| Mar 2020 | – | – | $1,402 |
| Jun 2020 | – | – | $1,406 |
| Sep 2020 | – | – | $1,410 |
| Dec 2020 | – | – | $1,407 |
| Mar 2021 | – | – | $1,443 |
| Jun 2021 | – | – | $1,512 |
| Sep 2021 | – | – | $1,590 |
| Dec 2021 | – | $795 | $1,622 |
| Mar 2022 | – | $832 | $1,661 |
| Jun 2022 | – | $852 | $1,721 |
| Sep 2022 | – | $858 | $1,748 |
| Dec 2022 | – | $854 | $1,735 |
| Mar 2023 | – | $885 | $1,757 |
| Jun 2023 | – | $927 | $1,785 |
| Sep 2023 | – | $929 | $1,797 |
| Dec 2023 | – | $935 | $1,786 |
| Mar 2024 | – | $965 | $1,807 |
| Jun 2024 | – | $974 | $1,837 |
| Sep 2024 | $1,257 | $952 | $1,845 |
| Dec 2024 | $1,268 | $983 | $1,836 |
| Mar 2025 | $1,333 | $984 | $1,860 |
| Jun 2025 | $1,329 | $1,022 | $1,880 |
| Sep 2025 | $1,317 | $1,019 | $1,881 |
| Dec 2025 | $1,339 | $990 | $1,873 |
| Mar 2026 | $1,342 | $1,031 | $1,894 |
| Jun 2026 | $1,335 | $1,057 | $1,921 |
| Sep 2026 | $1,340 | $1,063 | $1,932 |
Typical home value: $277,000 in Dubuque vs $255,000 in Grand Island
Typical home value, dollars. Quarterly.
- Grand Island, NE
- Dubuque, IA
- United States
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (typical home value, middle tier, smoothed, seasonally adjusted), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Grand Island, NE | Dubuque, IA | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $134K | $156K | $189K |
| Jun 2015 | $137K | $157K | $192K |
| Sep 2015 | $140K | $158K | $195K |
| Dec 2015 | $141K | $160K | $199K |
| Mar 2016 | $143K | $161K | $202K |
| Jun 2016 | $145K | $162K | $204K |
| Sep 2016 | $146K | $163K | $206K |
| Dec 2016 | $148K | $164K | $209K |
| Mar 2017 | $149K | $166K | $213K |
| Jun 2017 | $150K | $167K | $216K |
| Sep 2017 | $151K | $168K | $219K |
| Dec 2017 | $154K | $170K | $223K |
| Mar 2018 | $156K | $171K | $227K |
| Jun 2018 | $157K | $172K | $230K |
| Sep 2018 | $160K | $174K | $234K |
| Dec 2018 | $161K | $175K | $236K |
| Mar 2019 | $164K | $177K | $239K |
| Jun 2019 | $167K | $181K | $242K |
| Sep 2019 | $168K | $183K | $244K |
| Dec 2019 | $172K | $186K | $247K |
| Mar 2020 | $174K | $187K | $252K |
| Jun 2020 | $176K | $189K | $255K |
| Sep 2020 | $180K | $194K | $260K |
| Dec 2020 | $184K | $199K | $271K |
| Mar 2021 | $191K | $201K | $282K |
| Jun 2021 | $199K | $207K | $296K |
| Sep 2021 | $205K | $213K | $306K |
| Dec 2021 | $210K | $216K | $314K |
| Mar 2022 | $220K | $223K | $330K |
| Jun 2022 | $227K | $233K | $346K |
| Sep 2022 | $227K | $235K | $348K |
| Dec 2022 | $228K | $236K | $345K |
| Mar 2023 | $228K | $236K | $343K |
| Jun 2023 | $230K | $241K | $347K |
| Sep 2023 | $232K | $243K | $352K |
| Dec 2023 | $233K | $242K | $354K |
| Mar 2024 | $236K | $245K | $357K |
| Jun 2024 | $240K | $249K | $361K |
| Sep 2024 | $241K | $250K | $361K |
| Dec 2024 | $247K | $255K | $363K |
| Mar 2025 | $251K | $259K | $364K |
| Jun 2025 | $252K | $261K | $362K |
| Sep 2025 | $255K | $266K | $362K |
| Dec 2025 | $256K | $271K | $364K |
| Mar 2026 | $257K | $275K | $366K |
| Jun 2026 | $256K | $276K | $365K |
| Sep 2026 | $255K | $277K | $366K |
More about each city
What this comparison leaves out
- Taxes. State and local income, sales and property taxes can change the result a lot, especially between states.
- Neighborhoods. These are metro-wide averages; a city center and its outer suburbs can differ by more than two metros do.
- Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider above if rent is a bigger share of your budget.
- Timing. BEA price levels are for 2024; Zillow figures are monthly and newer.