Noise Levels in 15139, PA | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
57 dBA
Average noise across 15139
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
2,887
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
55% of 15139 residents
76 dBA
Loudest residential point
City bus interior
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across 15139 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 2,887 15139 residents, or 55.2%, live above that level. By land area, 62.4% of 15139 is above 55 dBA.
37.6% below 55 dBA
62.4% above 55 dBA
See how noise in 15139 compares to similar-sized zip codes.
Noise by Part of 15139
Average noise levels for 15139 residents, grouped by direction from the center of 15139. The highest population-weighted average is in western 15139; the lowest is in southeastern 15139, where just 39% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, roughly the same as the share in the loudest section.
Western 15139
59.4 dBA · Loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Southwestern 15139
59.0 dBA · Loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Northeastern 15139
58.5 dBA · Loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Eastern 15139
56.7 dBA · Moderate-loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Southeastern 15139
56.1 dBA · Moderate-loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
To the human ear, noise in western 15139 sounds about 26% louder than in southeastern 15139, a 3.3 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 Hulton Rd do you need to be?
Hulton Rd produces an estimated 64 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
64 dBA
Busy restaurant
165 ft
51 dBA
Quiet office
330 ft
43 dBA
Quiet suburban street at night
660 ft
36 dBA
Soft rainfall
¼ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
½ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
Calculated from the model's calibrated attenuation formula. About 26% of 15139 sits under tree canopy (about average for zip codes) and roughly 44% 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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Rail Noise
Active freight rail runs through parts of 15139. For most blocks the rail-only contribution is small. Combined road-plus-rail noise rarely exceeds road noise on its own. The exceptions are the handful of blocks within roughly a quarter mile of the right-of-way during pass-through hours.
Use the Rail toggle on the map above to isolate rail's contribution from road and aviation.
How Noise Is Distributed Across 15139
The bar chart below shows the share of 15139 residents in each noise band. About 23% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 17% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.
How 15139 Compares
15139 sits the lowest among the peer group. Below: how 15139's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with 15223, 15104, 15145, and 15224.
Average noise level (dBA)
15139's 57.0 dBA pop-weighted average is the lowest among the peer group. Pennsylvania as a whole averages 52.9 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than 15139 because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 55.2% of 15139 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, 62.4% of 15139's footprint sits above 55 dBA, against a Pennsylvania average of 33.5% and a national average of 28.1%.
What This Means if You're Moving to 15139
- 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 Hulton Rd 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 26% of 15139 is under tree cover (about average for 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.
