Noise Levels in 77381, TX | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
51 dBA
Average noise across 77381
Quiet office to normal conversation
6,727
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
24% of 77381 residents
82 dBA
Loudest residential point
Food blender at arm’s length
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across 77381 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 6,727 77381 residents, or 23.7%, live above that level. By land area, 27.2% of 77381 is above 55 dBA.
72.8% below 55 dBA
27.2% above 55 dBA
See how noise in 77381 compares to similar-sized zip codes.
Noise by Part of 77381
Average noise levels for 77381 residents, grouped by direction from the center of 77381. The highest population-weighted average is in eastern 77381; the lowest is in northern 77381, where just 18% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, roughly the same as the share in the loudest section.
Eastern 77381
56.8 dBA · Moderate-loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Western 77381
54.6 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Southern 77381
53.4 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Northeastern 77381
51.2 dBA · Moderate
Quiet office to normal conversation
Northern 77381
51.1 dBA · Moderate
Quiet office to normal conversation
To the human ear, noise in eastern 77381 sounds about 48% louder than in northern 77381, a 5.7 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 I-45 do you need to be?
I-45 produces an estimated 79 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
79 dBA
City bus interior
165 ft
65 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 39% of 77381 sits under tree canopy (heavier than most zip codes) and roughly 40% 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
George Bush Intcntl/Houston (IAH) sits southeast of 77381. The U.S. Department of Transportation measures aviation noise around this airport directly, 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 75 dBA on the map's Overall layer. Blocks on the opposite side of 77381, particularly to the northwest, show no measurable aviation contribution. Use the Aviation toggle on the map above to isolate the airport's footprint.
How Noise Is Distributed Across 77381
The bar chart below shows the share of 77381 residents in each noise band. About 78% 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 77381 Compares
77381 sits at the quieter end of the spectrum. Below: how 77381's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with 77382, 77389, 77380, and 77301.
Average noise level (dBA)
77381's 51.3 dBA pop-weighted average is at the quieter end of the spectrum. Texas as a whole averages 50.8 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than 77381 because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 23.7% of 77381 residents live in blocks where outdoor levels exceed the EPA's 55 dBA threshold. That's in the middle of its peer group. Measured by land area instead, 27.2% of 77381's footprint sits above 55 dBA, against a Texas average of 22.8% and a national average of 28.1%.
What This Means if You're Moving to 77381
- 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 I-45 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 39% of 77381 is under tree cover (heavier than most 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. George Bush Intcntl/Houston's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the southeast. Neighborhoods to the northwest of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
