Dubuque has been rated as one of America’s safest mid-sized cities.

The city was listed at #15 on financial technology firm SmartAsset’s list of the 75 safest mid-sized cities. The rankings examined more than 300 cities, and considered four factors: violent crime rate, property crime rate, motor vehicle fatality rate, and disaster risk.

Among the four Iowa cities on the list, Dubuque ranked second highest, ahead of West Des Moines (#45) and Iowa City (#50). Dubuque was also fifth among Upper Midwest communities (Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin), beating out cities like Rochester, Minnesota, and Naperville, Illinois.

In 2025, property crimes in Dubuque fell to their lowest level in at least 13 years.

When crimes do occur, the Dubuque Police Department excels in solving them. The department’s crime clearance rate significantly surpasses the national rate for both crimes against persons and crimes against property. For additional details, view the department’s 2025 annual report at cityofdubuque.org/police

The rankings also recognized Dubuque for having a “relatively low” disaster risk. SmartAsset says this metric was based on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s National Risk Index.

Additional information on the rankings can be found at SmartAsset.com/data-studies/americas-safest-midsize-cities-2026-study