Decibel Shield

The loudest cities in the US, ranked by noise exposure

Inglewood, California is the loudest US city by transportation-noise exposure: 26.3% of residents live with 60 dB or louder average-day noise, because it sits directly under LAX's flight paths. Elizabeth NJ and Santa Clara CA follow; Boston is the loudest truly large city, and New York ranks only 47th.

Last updated:

The ranking: all 297 US cities with 100,000+ residents

Share of each city's residents exposed to ≥60 dB and ≥70 dB average-day transportation noise (road + rail + aviation), population-weighted from census-tract data. 60 dB is constant-conversation loudness — well above the WHO's 53 dB Lden road-noise guideline; 70 dB is the level US agencies treat as a serious annoyance threshold.

US cities ranked by share of residents exposed to ≥60 dB transportation noise (BTS 2020 noise map × ACS 2016–2020)
# City State ≥60 dB ≥70 dB 45–60 dB Population
1 Inglewood CA 26.3% 2.9% 63.9% 110,017
2 Elizabeth NJ 13.8% 1.7% 86.1% 124,099
3 Santa Clara CA 13.5% 3.1% 56.2% 124,478
4 Boston MA 12.9% 2.6% 73.4% 682,902
5 Fresno CA 12.1% 2.2% 66.6% 488,327
6 East Los Angeles CA 11.2% 4.3% 58.2% 117,839
7 Burbank CA 11.2% 3.3% 56.9% 108,500
8 Richmond CA 11.1% 3.1% 66.1% 106,368
9 Chicago IL 11% 1.7% 83.4% 2,698,334
10 Anaheim CA 10.7% 4.2% 31.5% 333,887
11 Orange CA 10.3% 4.4% 32.4% 118,910
12 Norwalk CA 10.1% 4.3% 28.3% 106,313
13 Oakland CA 10% 3.6% 53.1% 422,575
14 Honolulu HI 9.9% 2.1% 30.2% 348,116
15 Los Angeles CA 9.8% 3.7% 42.6% 3,959,866
16 Compton CA 9.7% 2.9% 33% 103,665
17 North Charleston SC 9.6% 1.9% 61.3% 118,971
18 San Francisco CA 9.5% 2.7% 34.9% 874,784
19 Tempe AZ 9.3% 1.9% 43.6% 190,513
20 Stockton CA 9.2% 2.3% 49.8% 289,925
21 Ontario CA 9.1% 4% 80.9% 178,194
22 Hayward CA 9% 3% 77.9% 147,349
23 Santa Ana CA 9% 3.9% 35.8% 325,359
24 Newark NJ 8.9% 1.5% 81.9% 281,917
25 Sunnyvale CA 8.9% 4% 44.2% 159,216
26 Laredo TX 8.9% 0.9% 70.1% 241,239
27 Pomona CA 8.9% 3.2% 61.7% 151,424
28 Sacramento CA 8.9% 2.7% 62.9% 492,077
29 San Jose CA 8.8% 3.3% 41% 984,403
30 Long Beach CA 8.5% 3.7% 67.2% 463,504
31 Fullerton CA 8.5% 3.4% 47.5% 155,640
32 Glendale CA 8.3% 3% 48.5% 199,357
33 San Diego CA 8.3% 3.1% 43.6% 1,414,853
34 Garden Grove CA 8.2% 3.8% 20.1% 184,722
35 Paradise NV 8.1% 1.4% 59.9% 195,562
36 Atlanta GA 7.9% 2.2% 48.3% 490,846
37 Irvine CA 7.9% 3.4% 29.7% 269,716
38 Costa Mesa CA 7.8% 3.2% 55.2% 115,397
39 Mission Viejo CA 7.7% 2.6% 21% 100,214
40 Cambridge MA 7.7% 0.3% 63.9% 117,822
41 West Palm Beach FL 7.6% 1.8% 49.1% 105,582
42 Pompano Beach FL 7.6% 2.2% 84.6% 109,495
43 Pasadena CA 7.6% 3% 31.4% 142,063
44 Torrance CA 7.6% 3.5% 20.8% 144,430
45 Miami FL 7.5% 1.5% 79.9% 461,675
46 Concord CA 7.4% 2.9% 40.2% 137,473
47 New York NY 7.4% 1.7% 65.4% 8,347,434
48 Portland OR 7.2% 1.4% 40.1% 650,191
49 Downey CA 7.2% 3.8% 39.2% 109,815
50 Fremont CA 7.1% 2.6% 38.9% 234,829
51 Dallas TX 7% 1.6% 38.3% 1,382,096
52 Provo UT 7% 1.3% 34.1% 102,249
53 Yonkers NY 6.9% 2.5% 50.2% 200,183
54 Hialeah FL 6.9% 1.9% 41.9% 230,853
55 Berkeley CA 6.8% 1.7% 44.1% 123,065
56 Madison WI 6.8% 1.6% 40.3% 254,212
57 Vallejo CA 6.7% 2.1% 18.2% 115,463
58 Cleveland OH 6.7% 1.7% 63.9% 383,665
59 Louisville KY 6.6% 1.3% 39% 628,044
60 Lowell MA 6.6% 1% 29.5% 111,311
61 Minneapolis MN 6.6% 2% 70.5% 424,536
62 Irving TX 6.5% 1.5% 62.7% 240,475
63 Phoenix AZ 6.5% 1.1% 28.7% 1,648,739
64 Davie FL 6.4% 2.4% 47.5% 105,075
65 Mesa AZ 6.4% 1.1% 42.2% 497,973
66 Alexandria VA 6.3% 1.4% 60.6% 158,309
67 Wilmington NC 6.3% 0.5% 30.5% 120,932
68 Fort Lauderdale FL 6.2% 1.6% 47.5% 176,299
69 Lexington-Fayette KY 6.2% 1.2% 27.5% 322,200
70 El Monte CA 6.2% 2.4% 25.8% 113,817
71 Philadelphia PA 6.1% 1.1% 66.2% 1,581,531
72 Birmingham AL 6.1% 1.4% 51.4% 204,188
73 Oxnard CA 6.1% 1.3% 53.5% 188,232
74 Chandler AZ 6.1% 1% 37.8% 253,979
75 Arlington VA 6.1% 1.5% 46.2% 236,434
76 Thousand Oaks CA 6.1% 2% 13.5% 127,782
77 Worcester MA 6.1% 1.5% 29% 185,186
78 San Bernardino CA 6% 2.7% 44.3% 216,673
79 Miramar FL 6% 1.9% 14% 140,713
80 Stamford CT 5.9% 1.6% 41.7% 130,057
81 Gresham OR 5.9% 0.5% 44.7% 113,648
82 Escondido CA 5.8% 2.1% 18.9% 127,074
83 Pittsburgh PA 5.8% 1.8% 61.5% 301,286
84 Huntington Beach CA 5.8% 2.7% 21.9% 195,835
85 Seattle WA 5.8% 1.2% 51.6% 741,171
86 Washington DC 5.8% 0.8% 48.6% 701,974
87 Midland TX 5.8% 1.2% 42.8% 134,345
88 Salt Lake City UT 5.7% 1.3% 48.2% 207,852
89 Fort Worth TX 5.7% 1.3% 49.6% 842,371
90 Lewisville TX 5.7% 1.5% 74.5% 126,827
91 Riverside CA 5.7% 1.7% 34.2% 317,360
92 Houston TX 5.7% 1.7% 40.2% 2,326,953
93 Modesto CA 5.7% 1.7% 37.6% 188,833
94 Reno NV 5.6% 1.5% 38.8% 236,730
95 Miami Gardens FL 5.6% 1.7% 48% 107,344
96 Salem OR 5.5% 0.8% 37.5% 140,444
97 Lubbock TX 5.5% 0.9% 17.3% 260,189
98 Tucson AZ 5.5% 0.4% 30.8% 525,777
99 Glendale AZ 5.5% 0.6% 18.5% 252,246
100 Odessa TX 5.4% 1.1% 38.7% 112,598
101 Springfield MA 5.4% 1.1% 41% 153,677
102 Scottsdale AZ 5.3% 0.7% 27.8% 241,030
103 Memphis TN 5.3% 0.8% 43% 646,100
104 Jersey City NJ 5.3% 1.2% 70.9% 250,269
105 Everett WA 5.2% 1.2% 42.6% 109,923
106 Carlsbad CA 5.2% 1.9% 46.7% 118,198
107 El Paso TX 5.2% 1.1% 34.3% 652,492
108 Milwaukee WI 5.2% 1.3% 36% 592,951
109 Rancho Cucamonga CA 5.2% 2.5% 18.2% 178,060
110 Orlando FL 5.2% 1.5% 52.5% 284,419
111 Vancouver WA 5.2% 1.3% 40.2% 175,285
112 Amarillo TX 5.1% 1.4% 47.9% 198,530
113 Joliet IL 5.1% 0.8% 40.2% 149,722
114 New Haven CT 5.1% 1.2% 41.3% 130,381
115 Nashville TN 5.1% 1.2% 40.4% 661,890
116 Elk Grove CA 5.1% 1.4% 26.3% 159,273
117 Salinas CA 5.1% 1.6% 47.9% 134,204
118 Beaumont TX 5.1% 1.1% 41.8% 116,834
119 Sandy Springs GA 5.1% 1.6% 16.3% 108,606
120 Indianapolis IN 5.1% 1.2% 30.3% 861,435
121 Knoxville TN 5% 1.3% 20% 183,769
122 Paterson NJ 5% 1.3% 60.2% 145,484
123 Detroit MI 5% 1.1% 24.1% 672,892
124 Newport News VA 4.9% 1.1% 30.6% 179,582
125 Grand Prairie TX 4.9% 1.3% 42.6% 196,874
126 Jacksonville FL 4.9% 1.1% 65.3% 903,707
127 Carrollton TX 4.9% 1.4% 42.1% 135,153
128 Pasadena TX 4.8% 0.8% 51.7% 155,928
129 Sioux Falls SD 4.8% 0.9% 47.3% 168,927
130 Lansing MI 4.8% 0.7% 20.7% 120,339
131 Gilbert AZ 4.8% 0.4% 25% 238,079
132 Austin TX 4.8% 1.5% 22.7% 968,088
133 Santa Rosa CA 4.8% 1.5% 23.5% 143,050
134 Kent WA 4.8% 1% 35.4% 115,108
135 Warren MI 4.7% 1% 18% 134,188
136 Manchester NH 4.7% 1% 34.9% 112,441
137 Roseville CA 4.7% 1.3% 27.8% 121,304
138 Hollywood FL 4.7% 1% 27.8% 147,929
139 Cedar Rapids IA 4.7% 1.3% 24.9% 105,438
140 Corona CA 4.7% 1.6% 32.1% 154,657
141 Independence MO 4.7% 1% 36.9% 116,669
142 Ann Arbor MI 4.7% 0.8% 21.9% 121,979
143 Bakersfield CA 4.7% 1.4% 23% 363,313
144 Richmond VA 4.6% 1.4% 45.4% 229,233
145 College Station TX 4.6% 1% 29.4% 104,608
146 Mesquite TX 4.6% 1.7% 28.5% 147,919
147 Albuquerque NM 4.6% 0.8% 23.8% 529,220
148 St. Louis MO 4.6% 1.2% 48.7% 304,709
149 Peoria AZ 4.6% 0.7% 17.7% 177,465
150 Simi Valley CA 4.6% 1.8% 19.8% 113,438
151 Columbus OH 4.6% 1.4% 37.1% 814,474
152 Metairie LA 4.6% 1.2% 34.3% 138,511
153 Arlington TX 4.6% 1.1% 46.8% 402,959
154 Corpus Christi TX 4.6% 0.9% 16.7% 312,636
155 Providence RI 4.6% 1.4% 30.9% 179,472
156 San Antonio TX 4.6% 1.3% 32.9% 1,508,500
157 Santa Clarita CA 4.5% 2.1% 12.4% 209,153
158 Norfolk VA 4.5% 0.9% 45% 244,300
159 Huntsville AL 4.5% 1.1% 17% 187,112
160 Tacoma WA 4.5% 1.2% 34.8% 218,386
161 Sugar Land TX 4.5% 1.4% 37.3% 104,684
162 Sterling Heights MI 4.5% 1.1% 12.9% 132,296
163 Toledo OH 4.5% 1% 38% 268,044
164 Abilene TX 4.4% 0.9% 26.8% 116,064
165 McAllen TX 4.4% 0.4% 26% 143,174
166 Grand Rapids MI 4.4% 1% 19.8% 197,949
167 Tyler TX 4.4% 0.8% 19.2% 100,327
168 St. Paul MN 4.4% 1.4% 47.4% 305,877
169 Shreveport LA 4.3% 1.2% 36.3% 154,220
170 Tampa FL 4.3% 1.1% 18.3% 392,381
171 Springfield MO 4.3% 1% 26.4% 165,054
172 Naperville IL 4.3% 0.6% 23.7% 113,236
173 Victorville CA 4.3% 1.6% 25.2% 109,149
174 Mobile AL 4.3% 0.7% 32.5% 194,862
175 Lakeland FL 4.2% 1.3% 24% 108,753
176 Durham NC 4.2% 0.7% 13.2% 242,539
177 Murrieta CA 4.2% 2.4% 10.6% 108,134
178 Kansas City MO 4.2% 1.4% 33.6% 478,113
179 Denton TX 4.2% 1.1% 39.4% 118,065
180 Green Bay WI 4.2% 0.9% 22.2% 105,977
181 Raleigh NC 4.2% 0.7% 14.8% 440,404
182 Montgomery AL 4.2% 1.2% 17.9% 183,087
183 Denver CO 4.1% 0.9% 31.6% 715,878
184 Dayton OH 4.1% 0.9% 37.8% 146,967
185 Eugene OR 4.1% 0.7% 30.7% 157,095
186 New Orleans LA 4.1% 0.9% 30.8% 391,249
187 Columbia SC 4.1% 0.9% 24.8% 113,382
188 Cary NC 4.1% 0.6% 27.3% 150,549
189 Olathe KS 4.1% 0.8% 46.5% 118,306
190 Visalia CA 4% 1.3% 19.5% 122,629
191 Charlotte NC 4% 0.9% 25% 866,545
192 Little Rock AR 4% 1.1% 27.2% 187,040
193 Brandon FL 4% 1.7% 11.7% 115,909
194 Sparks NV 3.9% 0.6% 29.9% 100,120
195 Clovis CA 3.9% 1.2% 39.5% 106,483
196 Oceanside CA 3.9% 1.7% 16.5% 180,288
197 Akron OH 3.9% 1.2% 22.3% 193,775
198 Winston-Salem NC 3.9% 0.8% 14.1% 228,399
199 Des Moines IA 3.9% 0.8% 29.7% 209,337
200 Jurupa Valley CA 3.9% 1.4% 20.5% 110,181
201 Chattanooga TN 3.9% 0.9% 26.2% 177,956
202 Gainesville FL 3.9% 0.6% 15.2% 128,199
203 Davenport IA 3.8% 0.6% 27.2% 102,209
204 High Point NC 3.8% 0.6% 17.8% 101,591
205 Baltimore MD 3.8% 0.7% 38.8% 602,274
206 Aurora IL 3.8% 0.6% 31.4% 192,740
207 West Valley City UT 3.8% 0.6% 46.3% 131,315
208 Tulsa OK 3.7% 1.3% 36.5% 406,402
209 Fargo ND 3.7% 1% 45.8% 118,651
210 Greensboro NC 3.7% 0.9% 20.4% 256,593
211 Killeen TX 3.7% 0.7% 46.8% 140,582
212 Las Vegas NV 3.7% 1.3% 27.7% 623,021
213 Evansville IN 3.7% 1% 28% 121,954
214 Lincoln NE 3.6% 0.8% 41.1% 263,617
215 Rochester NY 3.6% 1.2% 48.1% 206,075
216 West Jordan UT 3.6% 0.5% 47.4% 116,570
217 Bridgeport CT 3.6% 0.9% 32.8% 145,014
218 Rockford IL 3.6% 0.2% 31.5% 136,002
219 Pembroke Pines FL 3.6% 1.2% 11.3% 168,678
220 Baton Rouge LA 3.5% 0.7% 25.6% 207,118
221 McKinney TX 3.5% 0.6% 18.1% 178,827
222 Coral Springs FL 3.5% 0.8% 12.6% 130,386
223 Waco TX 3.5% 0.8% 19.5% 133,525
224 Garland TX 3.5% 0.6% 16.3% 239,714
225 Columbia MD 3.4% 1% 73.3% 105,106
226 Peoria IL 3.4% 0.5% 16.7% 101,938
227 Aurora CO 3.4% 0.6% 14.2% 363,332
228 Port St. Lucie FL 3.4% 1% 10.1% 187,990
229 Chula Vista CA 3.4% 1.1% 29% 261,780
230 Brownsville TX 3.4% 0.5% 19.1% 180,830
231 Westminster CO 3.4% 0.7% 43.6% 116,335
232 Spokane WA 3.4% 0.4% 27.1% 211,655
233 Surprise AZ 3.4% 0.4% 14.4% 134,494
234 Round Rock TX 3.4% 0.9% 15.5% 117,039
235 Richardson TX 3.3% 0.8% 19.3% 110,274
236 Syracuse NY 3.3% 1.5% 31.3% 142,534
237 Cincinnati OH 3.3% 0.9% 39.9% 305,814
238 Lakewood CO 3.2% 0.7% 12.2% 149,093
239 Anchorage AK 3.2% 0.7% 25.9% 292,090
240 Omaha NE 3.2% 0.8% 18.1% 464,229
241 Allentown PA 3.2% 0.7% 58.7% 121,156
242 Lafayette LA 3.2% 0.4% 19.7% 121,577
243 Plano TX 3.2% 0.8% 15.2% 289,232
244 Bellevue WA 3.2% 1% 15.6% 150,969
245 Kansas City KS 3.2% 1% 38.2% 153,040
246 Chesapeake VA 3.1% 0.9% 22.4% 242,647
247 Fort Wayne IN 3.1% 0.6% 31.5% 233,695
248 Palmdale CA 3.1% 1.2% 14% 157,508
249 Savannah GA 3.1% 0.7% 22.4% 154,195
250 Colorado Springs CO 3.1% 0.6% 27.6% 455,551
251 Tallahassee FL 3.1% 0.5% 15.7% 180,943
252 Fayetteville NC 3% 0.5% 8% 217,168
253 Fontana CA 3% 1.4% 23.4% 207,738
254 Henderson NV 3% 0.9% 16.1% 303,967
255 Topeka KS 3% 0.9% 41% 119,139
256 Clearwater FL 3% 0.7% 16.3% 101,685
257 Hartford CT 3% 0.8% 28.9% 122,549
258 Frisco TX 2.9% 0.7% 10% 199,944
259 Macon-Bibb County GA 2.9% 0.9% 16% 153,026
260 Athens-Clarke County GA 2.9% 0.6% 22% 121,906
261 Buffalo NY 2.8% 1% 28.5% 255,805
262 Charleston SC 2.8% 0.7% 37.4% 150,550
263 Wichita KS 2.8% 1% 37.8% 362,236
264 Waterbury CT 2.7% 0.8% 15.6% 107,841
265 Moreno Valley CA 2.7% 1.3% 12.5% 184,230
266 Jackson MS 2.6% 0.7% 26.2% 163,345
267 Enterprise NV 2.6% 0.9% 24.1% 195,612
268 Clarksville TN 2.5% 0.6% 8.7% 142,325
269 Arvada CO 2.5% 0.5% 17.8% 112,391
270 Oklahoma City OK 2.5% 0.8% 29.8% 649,726
271 League City TX 2.5% 0.5% 11.5% 109,482
272 Pueblo CO 2.4% 0.3% 60.6% 107,658
273 Columbus GA 2.4% 0.6% 18.4% 195,418
274 South Fulton GA 2.4% 0.6% 59.2% 102,418
275 Augusta-Richmond County GA 2.3% 0.4% 13.1% 197,435
276 Thornton CO 2.2% 0.4% 11.4% 143,612
277 St. Petersburg FL 2.2% 0.6% 12.3% 265,946
278 Lancaster CA 2.2% 0.6% 10.3% 163,159
279 Overland Park KS 2.2% 0.8% 14.7% 197,456
280 Boise City ID 2.1% 0.4% 31.8% 213,107
281 The Woodlands TX 2.1% 0.3% 12.1% 119,921
282 North Las Vegas NV 2% 0.5% 26.2% 239,348
283 Hampton VA 2% 0.6% 9.3% 135,169
284 Murfreesboro TN 2% 0.2% 11% 113,190
285 Temecula CA 1.9% 0.8% 6.1% 102,413
286 Fort Collins CO 1.9% 0.3% 18.5% 143,140
287 Centennial CO 1.9% 0.1% 18.4% 113,251
288 Meridian ID 1.8% 0.4% 13.5% 104,699
289 Spring Hill FL 1.8% 0.5% 15.9% 107,049
290 Norman OK 1.8% 0.4% 21.9% 124,323
291 Palm Bay FL 1.8% 0.4% 7.7% 113,208
292 Spring Valley NV 1.7% 0.4% 25.2% 221,333
293 Virginia Beach VA 1.6% 0.4% 10% 450,882
294 Sunrise Manor NV 1.6% 0.3% 15.6% 188,017
295 Cape Coral FL 1.5% 0.4% 7.2% 181,410
296 Broken Arrow OK 1.2% 0.4% 8.3% 107,404
297 Lehigh Acres FL 0.5% 0.1% 13.3% 122,290

Which US cities are the noisiest?

By this federal data the noisiest US cities are the same as the loudest: Inglewood, Elizabeth and Santa Clara top both lists, because "noisiest" here means measured road, rail and aviation exposure. New York, despite its reputation, ranks only 47th. The full ranking of all 297 cities is in the table above.

Why isn't New York number one?

Because this dataset measures transportation noise — the federally modeled noise from roads, rail and aircraft — not sirens, construction, nightlife or crowds. New York's reputation is built on those unmodeled sources; by transportation exposure alone it ranks 47th, with 7.4% of residents at ≥60 dB but fully 65.4% living in the 45–60 dB band — a city where moderate noise is nearly universal even when extreme noise is not. The top of the list is instead dominated by cities sitting under airport approaches or sliced by freeways: Inglewood leads at 26.3% because LAX's flight paths run straight over it, followed by Elizabeth, NJ (Newark Airport) and Santa Clara, CA. Boston, at #4, is the loudest of the genuinely large cities — Logan's flight paths, the I-90/I-93 corridors and dense rail all cut through residential neighborhoods. The single highest share of residents above 70 dB, the hearing-risk threshold, is in Orange, CA (4.4%).

Where the noise lives, tract by tract

City averages hide the geography. Every city in the ranking has its own tract map — these ten are written up in depth. Each colors every census tract by the share of its residents exposed to ≥60 dB transportation noise — real values per tract from the same federal dataset, not interpolation. The pattern is consistent everywhere: the red follows airports, freeways and rail, usually through the neighborhoods built closest to them.

Census-tract noise map preview of Boston, MA — loudest tracts follow East Boston and Winthrop under the Logan flight paths, and the I-93 corridor. #4 Boston, MA noise map → Census-tract noise map preview of Fresno, CA — loudest tracts follow the Highway 99 freight corridor through the center of the city. #5 Fresno, CA noise map → Census-tract noise map preview of Chicago, IL — loudest tracts follow O'Hare on the far northwest side, Midway, and the expressway network. #9 Chicago, IL noise map → Census-tract noise map preview of Anaheim, CA — loudest tracts follow the I-5, SR-91 and SR-57 freeway lattice. #10 Anaheim, CA noise map → Census-tract noise map preview of Oakland, CA — loudest tracts follow the I-880 corridor, the port, and the airport flats. #13 Oakland, CA noise map → Census-tract noise map preview of Honolulu, HI — loudest tracts follow the H-1 corridor and the airport approach. #14 Honolulu, HI noise map → Census-tract noise map preview of Los Angeles, CA — loudest tracts follow the freeway grid and LAX. #15 Los Angeles, CA noise map → Census-tract noise map preview of San Francisco, CA — loudest tracts follow the US-101 and I-280 corridors. #18 San Francisco, CA noise map → Census-tract noise map preview of Stockton, CA — loudest tracts follow the Crosstown Freeway, I-5 and the rail corridors. #20 Stockton, CA noise map → Census-tract noise map preview of Santa Ana, CA — loudest tracts follow the I-5, SR-55 and SR-22 freeways. #23 Santa Ana, CA noise map →

Browse by state

Each state with more than one ranked city has its own page — its cities ranked against each other, with links to every tract map.

How this ranking is computed

Unlike our world city estimates, this dataset involves no estimation by us — it is a transparent aggregation of federal data. The BTS National Transportation Noise Map (2020) models average-day road, rail and aviation noise nationwide; the University of Washington's National Transportation Noise Exposure Map overlays it with ACS 2016–2020 population at census-tract level. We assign tracts to cities (representative point within the census place boundary, consolidated city-county entities merged) and compute population-weighted exposure shares for every city of 100,000+ residents. Rolled-up city populations matched official figures within ±5% in spot checks of 14 major cities.

Limitations: 2020 model vintage; transportation sources only (no construction, sirens, industry or nightlife); average-day levels, not peaks; tract-to-city assignment is by tract center, so border tracts can shift small amounts of population between neighboring cities.

How loud is your street?

Rankings describe averages — your block is its own story. Check it with the free online decibel meter, and see how US cities compare to the rest of the world on the global city sound map.

Download & cite this data

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How to cite this page:

Decibel Shield. "US Cities Ranked by Transportation Noise Exposure." decibelshield.app, 2026, https://decibelshield.app/sound-map/us/. Accessed [date].