Example household · La Crosse, WI · $83,730 · same pay · 1 adult

Dubuque skyline

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La Crosse vs Dubuque

La Crosse and Dubuque

Photo: Corey Coyle / Wikimedia, CC BY 3.0

Assumed income $83,730, same in both cities. Example, until you change it.

Same pay in both cities. One adult, one bedroom.

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So you know: homicide deaths in Dubuque are under the US rate in this release, 1.6 versus 6.5 per 100,000. CDC via County Health Rankings, CDC NVSS 2017–2023 (CHR 2025 release).

Why people look at La Crosse to Dubuque

IRS migration on this site does not list a filed flow from La Crosse to Dubuque above the cutoff in 2022-2023.

A one-bedroom asking rent is about $894 in La Crosse and $806 in Dubuque. La Crosse has a state tax on wages. Dubuque has a state tax on wages. Local pay in Dubuque is 92% of the national level for the same work, against 91% in La Crosse.

Dubuque averages 204 sunny days, with July highs around 82°F and January nights around 18°F. La Crosse is 192 sunny days, 80°F in July, 16°F in January. Commutes average 17 minutes in Dubuque and 21 in La Crosse.

These figures are projections built from available public data. Conditions change, and the numbers may not reflect current prices, taxes, or immigration rules. Check official sources before you make decisions.

How we figure this

Who already made this move

The IRS did not publish a large enough La Crosse → Dubuque pair for 2022-2023. That usually means fewer than a few dozen tax returns, not that nobody moved.

Source: IRS SOI county-to-county migration. Not a moving company; not a recommendation.

The monthly number is take-home pay minus rent and the other bills. The gap between La Crosse and Dubuque changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this.

What the move itself costs

About 103 road miles, 1 bedroom. Typical ranges, not quotes.

Full-service mover
$1,650–$3,050
Container or pod
$1,100–$2,050
Rent a truck
$400–$750

Movers in Dubuque and how to hire one →

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Questions

Is Dubuque cheaper than La Crosse after tax and rent?

Yes. Dubuque leaves about $287 more a month, so the cost of living is lower there for this household. A one-bedroom is about $894 in La Crosse and $806 in Dubuque.

Does Dubuque have state income tax?

Dubuque is in Iowa, which taxes wage income.

Did people actually move from La Crosse to Dubuque?

Yes, when the IRS published that flow. The count and their average income are on this page. Leftover prices the same household in both cities.