Noise Levels in 08836, NJ | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
37 dBA
Average noise across 08836
Soft rainfall
89
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
3% of 08836 residents
62 dBA
Loudest residential point
Busy restaurant
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across 08836 at 100-meter resolution, combining road, aviation, and rail sources. Green areas measure below 45 dBA. Orange and red exceed the EPA's 55 dBA outdoor threshold linked to long-term health effects. Use the layer toggles to view each source on its own or all together.
What the numbers sound like
- 30 dBAWhisper
- 40 dBASoft rainfall
- 45 dBAQuiet suburban street at night
- 50 dBAQuiet office
- 55 dBAEPA outdoor threshold: light traffic 100 ft away
- 60 dBANormal conversation an arm's length away
- 65 dBABusy restaurant
- 70 dBAHighway traffic 50 ft away
- 80 dBACity bus interior
Population Above the EPA Outdoor Threshold
The EPA's 55 dBA outdoor reference level is a common benchmark for residential noise exposure, especially for activity interference, annoyance, and long-term community noise concerns. About 89 08836 residents, or 2.9%, live above that level. By land area, 4.0% of 08836 is above 55 dBA.
96.0% below 55 dBA
4.0% above 55 dBA
See how noise in 08836 compares to similar-sized zip codes.
Noise by Part of 08836
Average noise levels for 08836 residents, grouped by direction from the center of 08836. The highest population-weighted average is in southeastern 08836; the lowest is in western 08836, where just 2% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, a third of the share in the loudest section.
Southeastern 08836
52.9 dBA · Moderate
Quiet office to normal conversation
Southern 08836
50.3 dBA · Moderate
Quiet office
Central 08836
45.6 dBA · Mostly quiet
Quiet suburban street at night
Northwestern 08836
41.5 dBA · Quiet
Quiet suburban street at night
Western 08836
40.2 dBA · Quiet
Soft rainfall
To the human ear, noise in southeastern 08836 sounds about 141% louder than in western 08836, a 12.7 dBA gap. Every 10 dBA roughly doubles perceived loudness. Within any of these directions, two homes a quarter mile apart can still differ by 10 or more dBA depending on how close they sit to a major highway.
How far back from Somerset County 616 do you need to be?
Somerset County 616 produces an estimated 57 dBA at its loudest centerline points. Noise drops logarithmically with distance, with the exact rate depending on what's between you and the road. Tree cover, walls, terrain, and pavement type all matter. At roughly a quarter mile back, traffic fades into the noise level of a soft rainfall.
At source
57 dBA
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
165 ft
46 dBA
Quiet suburban street at night
330 ft
39 dBA
Soft rainfall
660 ft
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
¼ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
½ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
Calculated from the model's calibrated attenuation formula. About 62% of 08836 sits under tree canopy (much heavier than most zip codes) and roughly 8% is impervious surface like pavement and rooftops. Both are folded into the per-place decay rate above. Heavier canopy pulls noise down faster with distance; impervious surfaces slow the drop.
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Airport Noise
Newark Liberty International (EWR) sits east of 08836. The U.S. Department of Transportation measures aviation noise around this airport directly, and the model uses those federal measurements rather than synthetic predictions.
Blocks under the approach and departure paths carry combined road-plus-aviation noise, with some exceeding 75 dBA on the map's Overall layer. Blocks on the opposite side of 08836, particularly to the west, show no measurable aviation contribution. Use the Aviation toggle on the map above to isolate the airport's footprint.
How Noise Is Distributed Across 08836
The bar chart below shows the share of 08836 residents in each noise band. About 100% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 0% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.
How 08836 Compares
08836 sits the lowest among the peer group. Below: how 08836's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with 07946, 07933, 07980, and 08880.
Average noise level (dBA)
08836's 37.1 dBA pop-weighted average is the lowest among the peer group. New Jersey as a whole averages 49.8 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than 08836 because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 2.9% of 08836 residents live in blocks where outdoor levels exceed the EPA's 55 dBA threshold. That's fewer than any of its peer group. Measured by land area instead, 4.0% of 08836's footprint sits above 55 dBA, against a New Jersey average of 25.2% and a national average of 28.1%.
What This Means if You're Moving to 08836
- Distance from highways matters more than the neighborhood name. Two homes in the same zip code can differ by 20 dBA if one sits 100 meters from Somerset County 616 and the other 500 meters away. The model captures this at 100-meter resolution, so noise exposure changes block by block.
- Tree canopy can help reduce modeled noise exposure. Roughly 62% of 08836 is under tree cover (much heavier than most zip codes), and the dominant land cover is deciduous forest. Both are measured from federal USDA Forest Service and USGS satellite imagery at 30-meter resolution. Streets with 60% or higher canopy show 3 to 5 dBA lower noise than comparable streets with bare ground or pavement, which is why the per-place decay rate above already accounts for it.
- Airport noise is directional. Newark Liberty International's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the east. Neighborhoods to the west of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
