Lansing-East Lansing Dubuque

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Strongly Favorable
Cost Index: 95.0 → 87.3
Rent Delta: -$191/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 8% lower cost of living
  • + $191/mo cheaper rent (2BR)
  • + Lower violent crime rate
  • + Better student-teacher ratios

Cons of Moving

  • - $5K lower median salary

Moving from Lansing-East Lansing to Dubuque shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 95.0 to 87.3 (100 = US average), so a Lansing-East Lansing salary needs to be multiplied by 0.92 to hold the same purchasing power in Dubuque. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $1,268/month in Lansing-East Lansing to $1,077/month in Dubuque - a lower monthly bill of $191, or $2,292/year. That rent delta alone is often the single biggest line item when relocating.

Wages tell the other half. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report a median salary of $66,647 in Lansing-East Lansing versus $61,930 in Dubuque - a raw gap of $4,717 lower. The Dubuque labor market has 51,410 tracked jobs against 207,670 in Lansing-East Lansing, shaping how easy it is to find a comparable role. Combine that with the cost-of-living shift above and you get the real purchasing-power delta, sometimes a "higher salary" is actually a pay cut once rent and RPP are applied.

Safety, schools, and childcare round out the move. FBI UCR violent crime rates near Lansing-East Lansing and Dubuque are 431 and 238 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 17.5:1 at origin versus 14.8:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $7,444/year in Lansing-East Lansing versus $8,306/year in Dubuque. Our composite verdict - Strongly Favorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
Lansing-East Lansing
Dubuque
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 95.0
RPP 87.3
Dubuque
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$1,268/mo
$1,077/mo
Dubuque
💼 Wages
$66,647
$61,930
Lansing-East Lansing
🔒 Crime
431 per 100K
238 per 100K
Dubuque
🎓 Schools
17.5:1
14.8:1
Dubuque
👶 Childcare
$7,444/yr
$8,306/yr
Lansing-East Lansing
🌿 Environment
1000 violations
729 violations
Dubuque

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Lansing-East Lansing to see what you'd need to earn in Dubuque to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Dubuque
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dubuque more expensive than Lansing-East Lansing?
Dubuque has an RPP of 87.3 compared to Lansing-East Lansing's 95.0 (100 = national average). Lansing-East Lansing is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Dubuque is $1,077/mo vs $1,268/mo in Lansing-East Lansing.
What are salaries like in Dubuque compared to Lansing-East Lansing?
The median salary in Dubuque is $61,930 compared to $66,647 in Lansing-East Lansing. That's a -$4,717 difference.
Is Dubuque safer than Lansing-East Lansing?
The violent crime rate near Dubuque is 238 per 100K vs 431 per 100K near Lansing-East Lansing (state-level data). Dubuque has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Dubuque to match my Lansing-East Lansing salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Lansing-East Lansing salary by 0.92. For example, a $75,000 salary in Lansing-East Lansing would need to be $68,950 in Dubuque. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Strongly Favorable" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Strongly Favorable" means the destination clearly wins on most dimensions. Individual priorities may shift the balance, weigh the dimensions that matter most to you.

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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026

Data Sources

  • Cost of Living: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities
  • Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR)
  • Wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES)
  • Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - state level
  • Schools: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
  • Childcare: Department of Labor (DOL) - state level
  • Environment: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)