Noise Levels in 33778, FL | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
53 dBA
Average noise across 33778
Quiet office to normal conversation
3,611
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
29% of 33778 residents
71 dBA
Loudest residential point
City bus interior
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across 33778 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 3,611 33778 residents, or 28.6%, live above that level. By land area, 29.1% of 33778 is above 55 dBA.
70.9% below 55 dBA
29.1% above 55 dBA
See how noise in 33778 compares to similar-sized zip codes.
Noise by Part of 33778
Average noise levels for 33778 residents, grouped by direction from the center of 33778. The highest population-weighted average is in northern 33778; the lowest is in southwestern 33778, where just 18% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, three-quarters of the share in the loudest section.
Northern 33778
58.0 dBA · Loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Northwestern 33778
55.5 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Northeastern 33778
53.9 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Eastern 33778
52.5 dBA · Moderate
Quiet office to normal conversation
Southwestern 33778
50.5 dBA · Moderate
Quiet office
To the human ear, noise in northern 33778 sounds about 68% louder than in southwestern 33778, a 7.5 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 Seminole Blvd do you need to be?
Seminole Blvd produces an estimated 67 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
67 dBA
Highway traffic 50 ft away
165 ft
53 dBA
Quiet office to normal conversation
330 ft
45 dBA
Quiet suburban street at night
660 ft
37 dBA
Soft rainfall
¼ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
½ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
Calculated from the model's calibrated attenuation formula. About 10% of 33778 sits under tree canopy (lighter than most zip codes) and roughly 55% 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
St Pete-Clearwater International (PIE) sits east of 33778. The U.S. Department of Transportation models aviation noise around this airport from federal traffic data, 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 55 dBA on the map's Overall layer. Blocks on the opposite side of 33778, 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 33778
The bar chart below shows the share of 33778 residents in each noise band. About 76% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 8% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.
How 33778 Compares
33778 sits the highest among the peer group. Below: how 33778's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with 33773, 33776, 33708, and 33774.
Average noise level (dBA)
33778's 52.9 dBA pop-weighted average is the highest among the peer group. Florida as a whole averages 51.6 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than 33778 because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 28.6% of 33778 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, 29.1% of 33778's footprint sits above 55 dBA, against a Florida average of 31.8% and a national average of 28.1%.
What This Means if You're Moving to 33778
- 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 Seminole Blvd 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 10% of 33778 is under tree cover (lighter than most zip codes), and the dominant land cover is medium-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. St Pete-Clearwater International's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the east. Neighborhoods to the west of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
