Noise Levels in 37402, TN | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
58 dBA
Average noise across 37402
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
1,936
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
60% of 37402 residents
82 dBA
Loudest residential point
Food blender at arm’s length
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across 37402 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 1,936 37402 residents, or 59.6%, live above that level. By land area, 67.2% of 37402 is above 55 dBA.
32.8% below 55 dBA
67.2% above 55 dBA
See how noise in 37402 compares to similar-sized zip codes.
Noise by Part of 37402
Average noise levels for 37402 residents, grouped by direction from the center of 37402. The highest population-weighted average is in northwestern 37402; the lowest is in northeastern 37402, where just 78% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, roughly the same as the share in the loudest section.
Northwestern 37402
68.2 dBA · Loud
Highway traffic 50 ft away
Southeastern 37402
68.2 dBA · Loud
Highway traffic 50 ft away
Southwestern 37402
65.0 dBA · Loud
Busy restaurant
Central 37402
64.0 dBA · Loud
Busy restaurant
Northeastern 37402
63.6 dBA · Loud
Busy restaurant
To the human ear, noise in northwestern 37402 sounds about 38% louder than in northeastern 37402, a 4.6 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 US Hwy 27 do you need to be?
US Hwy 27 produces an estimated 78 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
78 dBA
City bus interior
165 ft
64 dBA
Busy restaurant
330 ft
56 dBA
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
660 ft
48 dBA
Quiet office
¼ mile
40 dBA
Soft rainfall
½ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
Calculated from the model's calibrated attenuation formula. About 6% of 37402 sits under tree canopy (lighter than most zip codes) and roughly 70% 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
Lovell Field (CHA) sits east of 37402. 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 37402, 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 37402
The bar chart below shows the share of 37402 residents in each noise band. About 31% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 35% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.
How 37402 Compares
37402 sits the highest among the peer group. Below: how 37402's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with 37410, 37408, 37403, and 37409.
Average noise level (dBA)
37402's 58.1 dBA pop-weighted average is the highest among the peer group. Tennessee as a whole averages 49.2 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than 37402 because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 59.6% of 37402 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, 67.2% of 37402's footprint sits above 55 dBA, against a Tennessee average of 18.7% and a national average of 28.1%.
What This Means if You're Moving to 37402
- 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 US Hwy 27 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 6% of 37402 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. Lovell Field's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the east. Neighborhoods to the west of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
