Noise Levels in 38115, TN | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
51 dBA
Average noise across 38115
Quiet office to normal conversation
6,439
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
19% of 38115 residents
78 dBA
Loudest residential point
City bus interior
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across 38115 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 6,439 38115 residents, or 18.6%, live above that level. By land area, 24.2% of 38115 is above 55 dBA.
75.8% below 55 dBA
24.2% above 55 dBA
See how noise in 38115 compares to similar-sized zip codes.
Noise by Part of 38115
Average noise levels for 38115 residents, grouped by direction from the center of 38115. The highest population-weighted average is in northern 38115; the lowest is in southern 38115, where just 9% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, a third of the share in the loudest section.
Northern 38115
55.5 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Eastern 38115
55.0 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Central 38115
52.3 dBA · Moderate
Quiet office to normal conversation
Southwestern 38115
51.0 dBA · Moderate
Quiet office
Southern 38115
49.6 dBA · Mostly quiet
Quiet office
To the human ear, noise in northern 38115 sounds about 51% louder than in southern 38115, a 5.9 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 do you need to be?
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 20% of 38115 sits under tree canopy (about average for zip codes) and roughly 51% 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.
-->
Airport Noise
Memphis International (MEM) sits west of 38115. 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 50 dBA on the map's Overall layer. Blocks on the opposite side of 38115, particularly to the east, show no measurable aviation contribution. Use the Aviation toggle on the map above to isolate the airport's footprint.
How Noise Is Distributed Across 38115
The bar chart below shows the share of 38115 residents in each noise band. About 87% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 1% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.
How 38115 Compares
38115 sits at the quieter end of the spectrum. Below: how 38115's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with 38118, 38125, 38018, and 38116.
Average noise level (dBA)
38115's 51.1 dBA pop-weighted average is at the quieter end of the spectrum. Tennessee as a whole averages 49.2 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than 38115 because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 18.6% of 38115 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, 24.2% of 38115'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 38115
- 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 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 20% of 38115 is under tree cover (about average for 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. Memphis International's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the west. Neighborhoods to the east of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
