Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of East Dubuque’s subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A+ for the outdoors. East Dubuque’s average trip to work is 16 minutes, below both Illinois’ towns (26 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 2 of the 769 Illinois towns we compare have a lower January low than East Dubuque. East Dubuque’s trail density is 1.7 miles per square mile, above both the Illinois town median (0.3) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Only 11 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns score higher on the outdoors. East Dubuque has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them East Dubuque School and Henry N. Frentess Farmstead. East Dubuque has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where East Dubuque beats most towns.
East Dubuque SchoolIn a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far East Dubuque is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,037 in 1880, a peak of 2,408 in 1970, 1,505 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1940 and 2 maps from 1955 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in East Dubuque, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in East Dubuque.
The typical East Dubuque home is worth about $233,000, up 6.7% in a year, 21% below the Illinois typical home. East Dubuque’s median rent is $867 a month.
| East Dubuque | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $867 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 68% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 249 flood insurance claims have been paid out in East Dubuque.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
East Dubuque has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 12° and about 36 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Gramercy Park | 0.3 mi | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
East Dubuque beats the Illinois average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 18% of East Dubuque adults binge drink.
| East Dubuque | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 35% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 35% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | East Dubuque | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9% | 13.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.9% | 15.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.6% | 7.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave East Dubuque for work: only 10% work in town. Since 2013, East Dubuque has added 73 jobs, to 699 in 2023. 12% of residents live below the poverty line in East Dubuque.
| East Dubuque | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $68,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 8.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around East Dubuque. Close and well known come first.
20 mi MountainCharles Mound
2 mi MuseumNational Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium250K visitors a year
2 mi TheatreFive Flags Center11 mi MuseumChicago Athenaeum2 mi MuseumDubuque Museum of Art
25 mi MuseumNational Farm Toy MuseumCharles Mound: Skye Marthaler, CC BY-SA 3.0 · National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium: Dirk Hansen, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Five Flags Center: Dirk Hansen, CC BY-SA 3.0 · National Farm Toy Museum: Madmaxmarchhare of English Wikipedia, CC BY 2.5
5 within 15 miles of the center of East Dubuque
About 5 of every 100 East Dubuque residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Illinois.
1,704 counted in 2010 and 1,505 in 2020; an estimated 1,457 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
2 places in East Dubuque on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Illinois, United States
East Dubuque is a city in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,505 at the 2020 census, down from 1,704 in 2010. East Dubuque is located alongside the Mississippi River. Across the river is the city of Dubuque, Iowa. The city limits extend along the river to the Illinois-Wisconsin border.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
2 notable people were born here, including Arthur Joseph O'Neill and Edward E. Burns.
