Metro FMR · CBSA 20220 · HUD FY2026

Dubuque, IA MSA Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for the Dubuque, IA MSA metro area - 12% below the US average.

$841
1-bedroom FMR
$1,077
2-bedroom FMR
+10.2%
YoY change
-12%
vs US avg

The verdict

A 2-bedroom in the Dubuque, IA MSA area rents at $1,077 under HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent - 8% below the US average, lower than 86% of the 387 metro areas HUD tracks.

#55
most affordable of 387 US metros (2BR)
-8%
vs the US 2-bedroom average
$43,080
income to afford it (30% rule)
+10.2%
1BR change, FY2025→2026

Affordability & income context

Dubuque: #55 most affordable nationally · income context

At the metro's ACS median household income of $75,919, this 1-bedroom FMR takes 13.3% of annual income. It is well below the 30% affordability guide for a median-income household.

The 2-bedroom figure places Dubuque in the lower-rent quarter of HUD metro areas, using the same FY2026 HUD schedule as the national comparison.

With 98,812 residents, this is a smaller-metro benchmark rather than a single-neighborhood rent quote.

Its 2-bedroom FMR sits in the lower-rent quarter of HUD metro areas, so the local-income comparison is more informative than the national rank alone.

The studio-through-two-bedroom FMR bands stay below 30% of recorded median income here; the larger-bedroom rows show where that headroom narrows.

ACS median household income lags the FY2026 HUD FMR schedule. The income share is a same-metro cross-source read (Census ACS B19013 vs HUD FMR), not a same-vintage ratio.

Studio

$774/mo

12.2% of median income

1 Bedroom

$841/mo

13.3% of median income

2 Bedroom

$1,077/mo

17.0% of median income

3 Bedroom

$1,450/mo

22.9% of median income

4 Bedroom

$1,807/mo

28.6% of median income

FMR filing desk

CBSA CBSA·20220

Dubuque: $841/mo 1BR · #55 of 387 metros (2BR) · FY2026 CBSA 20220

  • CBSA 20220
  • 1BR-FMR $841
  • 2BR-FMR $1,077
  • RANK-MID #55
  • YOY-SURGE +10.2%
  • VSUS-BELOW -12%
  • IN-ST-LOW #4 IA
  • INC-ROOM 13%
  • POP-MID 99K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Benton County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $757–$925
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Benton County ($112 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent trends

Where Dubuque sits among every US metro

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 387 HUD metro areas

$1,077 higher than 14% of 387 metro areas

$800–$1,000: 28 metro areas (7%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 114 metro areas (29%). This entry sits in this band. $1,200–$1,400: 95 metro areas (25%). Above this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 52 metro areas (13%). Above this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 41 metro areas (11%). Above this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 26 metro areas (7%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 9 metro areas (2%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 4 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 2 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. This metro $800 $4,400 every US metro, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more metro areas. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026

Dubuque studio–4BR schedule (FY2026) · 2BR #55 most affordable

1BR $841 (-12% vs US, +10.2% YoY). Each bedroom band below is FY2026 HUD FMR for CBSA 20220.

Studio
$774
US avg $893
↑7.2% YoY -13% vs US
1 Bedroom
$841
US avg $959
↑10.2% YoY -12% vs US
2 Bedroom
$1,077
US avg $1,175
↑8.1% YoY -8% vs US
3 Bedroom
$1,450
US avg $1,525
↑10.3% YoY -5% vs US
4 Bedroom
$1,807
US avg $1,756
↑8.0% YoY +3% vs US

How Dubuque compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other IA metro areas

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Dubuque highlighted among 5 peers · FY2026 1BR HUD FMR.

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) As of FY2026

Dubuque: out-of-state FMR & burden peers

PlainRent pairs Dubuque with the 4 nearest HUD 2BR schedules and 4 nearest burden matches outside IA (burden peers exclude the FMR set; pop ≥50k).

2BR FMR · outside IA

Nearest schedules by 2BR delta (FY2026).

St. Joseph
MO · 2 BR $1,077/mo
Toledo
OH · 2 BR $1,076/mo
Casper
WY · 2 BR $1,082/mo
Mobile
AL · 2 BR $1,083/mo

Burden % · outside IA

Nearest 2BR FMR ÷ ACS median income (FY2026).

Anson County
NC · 17% of income · 2 BR $1,138/mo
Baker County
FL · 17.2% of income · 2 BR $1,103/mo
Bismarck
ND · 16.8% of income · 2 BR $1,175/mo
Callaway County
MO · 17.3% of income · 2 BR $1,042/mo

Dubuque: quick answers

What is the average rent in the Dubuque, IA MSA metro area? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Dubuque, IA MSA is $841 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,077 and a studio is $774.
How does Dubuque, IA MSA rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in the Dubuque, IA MSA metro area is 12% below the national average. A 1-bedroom costs $841 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Dubuque rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
HUD's FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $1,077 ranks #55 most affordable among 387 US metro areas (the lower-rent quarter of HUD metro areas).
What income do I need to afford rent in Dubuque, IA MSA? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $33,640 ($2,803/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in the Dubuque, IA MSA area.

Compare Dubuque vs Benton County →

Data as of FY 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fair Market Rents. Population and demographic data from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

FY 2026 HUD FMR $841/mo · 1BR IA

Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.