Dubuque Receives Score of 100 on Municipal Equality Index

DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has issued its 2021 Municipal Equality Index (MEI), a ranking of municipalities across the country based on the inclusiveness of their laws, policies, and services for LGBTQ+ residents. Dubuque earned a score of 100.

2021 marks Dubuque’s fourth consecutive year with a score of 100. Since 2012, the HRC has issued the annual Municipal Equality Index, ranking cities on a scale from zero to 100 based on 44 criteria covering non-discrimination laws, the municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement, and the City leadership’s public position on equality.

In 2021, a total of 506 cities were ranked. Dubuque’s score of 100 is significantly higher than the national city average of 67 points. The MEI rated cities including the 50 state capitals, the 200 largest cities in the United States, the five largest cities or municipalities in each state, the cities home to the state’s two largest public universities, 75 municipalities that have high proportions of same-sex couples and 98 cities selected by HRC and Equality Federation state group members and supporters.

2021 scores for cities in Iowa:

• Ames – 94
• Cedar Rapids – 97
• Davenport – 98
• Des Moines – 96
• Dubuque – 100
• Iowa City – 100
• Sioux City – 79
• Waterloo – 71
• West Des Moines – 100

The full report, including detailed scorecards for every city, as well as a searchable database, is available online at www.hrc.org/mei.

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