Noise Levels in 68157, NE | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
53 dBA
Average noise across 68157
Quiet office to normal conversation
2,124
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
37% of 68157 residents
61 dBA
Loudest residential point
Busy restaurant
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across 68157 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 2,124 68157 residents, or 37.3%, live above that level. By land area, 40.7% of 68157 is above 55 dBA.
59.3% below 55 dBA
40.7% above 55 dBA
See how noise in 68157 compares to similar-sized zip codes.
Noise by Part of 68157
Average noise levels for 68157 residents, grouped by direction from the center of 68157. The highest population-weighted average is in northern 68157; the lowest is in southeastern 68157, where just 8% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, a third of the share in the loudest section.
Northern 68157
53.3 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Central 68157
52.4 dBA · Moderate
Quiet office to normal conversation
Western 68157
50.7 dBA · Moderate
Quiet office
Southern 68157
49.8 dBA · Mostly quiet
Quiet office
Southeastern 68157
49.1 dBA · Mostly quiet
Quiet office
To the human ear, noise in northern 68157 sounds about 34% louder than in southeastern 68157, a 4.2 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 48TH St do you need to be?
48TH St produces an estimated 60 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
60 dBA
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
165 ft
47 dBA
Quiet office
330 ft
40 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 19% of 68157 sits under tree canopy (about average for zip codes) and roughly 28% 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
Eppley Airfield (OMA) sits northeast of 68157. 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 65 dBA on the map's Overall layer. Blocks on the opposite side of 68157, 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 68157
The bar chart below shows the share of 68157 residents in each noise band. About 63% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 0% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.
How 68157 Compares
68157 sits the highest among the peer group. Below: how 68157's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with 68117, 68110, 68152, and 68118.
Average noise level (dBA)
68157's 53.1 dBA pop-weighted average is the highest among the peer group. Nebraska as a whole averages 50.7 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than 68157 because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 37.3% of 68157 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, 40.7% of 68157's footprint sits above 55 dBA, against a Nebraska average of 22.4% and a national average of 28.1%.
What This Means if You're Moving to 68157
- 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 48TH St 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 19% of 68157 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.
- Airport noise is directional. Eppley Airfield's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the northeast. Neighborhoods to the southwest of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
