Noise Levels in 08850, NJ | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
50 dBA
Average noise across 08850
Quiet office
1,522
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
24% of 08850 residents
86 dBA
Loudest residential point
Food blender at arm’s length
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across 08850 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 1,522 08850 residents, or 24.3%, live above that level. By land area, 27.2% of 08850 is above 55 dBA.
72.8% below 55 dBA
27.2% above 55 dBA
See how noise in 08850 compares to similar-sized zip codes.
Noise by Part of 08850
Average noise levels for 08850 residents, grouped by direction from the center of 08850. The highest population-weighted average is in southeastern 08850; the lowest is in western 08850, where just 6% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, a fifth of the share in the loudest section.
Southeastern 08850
68.4 dBA · Loud
Highway traffic 50 ft away
Southern 08850
67.0 dBA · Loud
Highway traffic 50 ft away
Northeastern 08850
52.1 dBA · Moderate
Quiet office to normal conversation
Southwestern 08850
48.5 dBA · Mostly quiet
Quiet office
Western 08850
46.9 dBA · Mostly quiet
Quiet office
To the human ear, noise in southeastern 08850 sounds about 344% louder than in western 08850, a 21.5 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 Middlesex County 606 do you need to be?
Middlesex County 606 produces an estimated 61 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
61 dBA
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
165 ft
46 dBA
Quiet office
330 ft
38 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 31% of 08850 sits under tree canopy (heavier than most zip codes) and roughly 36% 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 northeast of 08850. 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 08850, particularly to the southwest, show no measurable aviation contribution. Use the Aviation toggle on the map above to isolate the airport's footprint.
How Noise Is Distributed Across 08850
The bar chart below shows the share of 08850 residents in each noise band. About 78% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 9% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.
How 08850 Compares
08850 sits the highest among the peer group. Below: how 08850's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with 08884, 08823, 08810, and 08824.
Average noise level (dBA)
08850's 50.3 dBA pop-weighted average is the highest 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 08850 because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 24.3% of 08850 residents live in blocks where outdoor levels exceed the EPA's 55 dBA threshold. That's more than any of its peer group. Measured by land area instead, 27.2% of 08850'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 08850
- 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 Middlesex County 606 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 31% of 08850 is under tree cover (heavier than most zip codes), and the dominant land cover is low-intensity developed land. 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 northeast. Neighborhoods to the southwest of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
