Noise Levels in 77502, TX | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map

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 4,802 77502 residents, or 21.8%, live above that level. By land area, 26.3% of 77502 is above 55 dBA.

See how noise in 77502 compares to similar-sized zip codes.

Noise by Part of 77502

Average noise levels for 77502 residents, grouped by direction from the center of 77502. The highest population-weighted average is in northern 77502; the lowest is in southern 77502, where just 12% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, a third of the share in the loudest section.

To the human ear, noise in northern 77502 sounds about 65% louder than in southern 77502, a 7.2 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.

Airport Noise

William P Hobby (HOU) sits southwest of 77502. 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 77502, particularly to the northeast, show no measurable aviation contribution. Use the Aviation toggle on the map above to isolate the airport's footprint.

How Noise Is Distributed Across 77502

The bar chart below shows the share of 77502 residents in each noise band. About 86% 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 77502 Compares

77502 sits the lowest among the peer group. Below: how 77502's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with 77506, 77504, 77536, and 77034.

Average noise level (dBA)

77502's 50.5 dBA pop-weighted average is the lowest among the peer group. Texas as a whole averages 50.8 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than 77502 because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.

Share of residents above 55 dBA

About 21.8% of 77502 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, 26.3% of 77502'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 77502

• 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 15% of 77502 is under tree cover (lighter 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. William P Hobby's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the southwest. Neighborhoods to the northeast of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.

Sources & Methodology