Cedar Rapids, IA vs Dubuque, IA: Crime Rate Comparison (2025)
A side-by-side look at reported crime in Cedar Rapids and Dubuque, on the FBI-based Crime Index (0–100, higher = safer) for 2025.
Cedar Rapids is the safer city
Cedar Rapids scores 71/100 (grade C) versus 68/100 (grade C) for Dubuque — a 3-point gap. Dubuque's violent-crime rate is 1.5× Cedar Rapids. Across the 8 offense categories, Cedar Rapids has the lower rate in 2.
Cedar Rapids, IA
SaferCrime Index
- Population
- 137,918
- Violent / 100k
- 265
- Property / 100k
- 2,132
- In Iowa
- #5 of 11
Dubuque, IA
Crime Index
- Population
- 58,822
- Violent / 100k
- 401
- Property / 100k
- 1,528
- In Iowa
- #6 of 11
Crime rates head-to-head
| Metric | Cedar Rapids | Dubuque | US average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Index (higher = safer) | 71C | 68C | 73C |
| Violent crime /100k | 265 | 401 | 315 |
| Property crime /100k | 2,132 | 1,528 | 1,487 |
| Homicide /100k | 2.9 | 0 | 4.1 |
| Total reported /100k | 2,397 | 1,930 | 1,802 |
Grade shown per index band (88–100 = A … 0–29 = F). Rates are reported offenses per 100,000 residents.
By offense
Rate per 100,000 residents — the lower (safer) city is highlighted.
| Offense | Cedar Rapids | Dubuque |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 2.9 | 0 |
| Rape | 5.1 | 91.8 |
| Robbery | 23.9 | 23.8 |
| Aggravated assault | 233 | 286 |
| Burglary | 276 | 243 |
| Larceny-theft | 1,688 | 1,188 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 161 | 90.1 |
| Arson | 8 | 6.8 |
Crime trends
Cedar Rapids
Dubuque
Frequently asked questions
Is Cedar Rapids or Dubuque safer?
Which has more violent crime, Cedar Rapids or Dubuque?
What are the odds of violent crime in Cedar Rapids vs Dubuque?
No area has zero risk
A high Crime Index score means lower reported crime relative to other US cities — it is not a guarantee of safety. Reported crime is not the same as actual crime. Research on the gap between crime that occurs and crime that gets reported to police — often called the "dark figure" of crime — estimates that roughly 40% of violent crime and about a third of property crime go unreported each year. Every index built on official statistics, including this one, necessarily undercounts real crime. That gap is exactly why homicide — the offense with the smallest dark figure — anchors the calculation instead of a more commonly reported but less reliable category like theft.
Scores on this page reflect FBI-reported data for 2025. See the full methodology →
Protecting yourself in Cedar Rapids & Dubuque
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