Moving from Detroit to Dubuque
You'd keep $500 more a month in Dubuque
+$6,000 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
Detroit leftover
$2,473
a month after tax and rent
Dubuque leftover
$2,973
+$500 vs Detroit
| Per month | Detroit | Dubuque | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,625 | $7,189 | −$436 |
| Income and payroll tax | $2,049 | $1,660 | −$389 |
| Take-home pay | $5,576 | $5,530 | −$46 |
| Rent | $1,194 | $802 | −$392 |
| Getting around | $560 | $496 | −$64 |
| Groceries | $372 | $347 | −$25 |
| Healthcare | $419 | $391 | −$28 |
| Utilities | $233 | $217 | −$16 |
| Everything else | $326 | $304 | −$22 |
| Left over | $2,473 | $2,973 | +$500 |
To break even in Dubuque, you'd need to earn
$77,500
Household gross, versus $91,500 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Detroit does now.
The tax difference alone
+$3,123
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 26.9% in Detroit, 23.1% in Dubuque.
More about Dubuque
Detroit, MI in full
Engineering wages against some of the cheapest urban housing in America.
Dubuque, IA in full
A flat 3.8% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $955 and 204 sunny days; commutes average 17 minutes.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Dubuque on Dubuque wages.
Dubuque → Detroit →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Dubuque than Detroit?
A one-bedroom is about $1,194 in Detroit versus $802 in Dubuque. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $500 a month higher in Dubuque. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Dubuque have state income tax?
Dubuque is in Iowa, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Detroit to Dubuque?
Take-home pay is recalculated under Iowa tax, rent is priced at the same bedroom count, and leftover is the gap. The from-to page also lists IRS households that already made the move, when that data exists.
Rent is Zillow's asking rent for each metro; taxes and living costs are modelled. An estimate, not a quote or tax advice. How this is calculated.