Noise Levels in 90028, CA | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
60 dBA
Average noise across 90028
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
21,328
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
75% of 90028 residents
81 dBA
Loudest residential point
Food blender at arm’s length
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across 90028 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 21,328 90028 residents, or 75.2%, live above that level. By land area, 71.6% of 90028 is above 55 dBA.
28.4% below 55 dBA
71.6% above 55 dBA
See how noise in 90028 compares to similar-sized zip codes.
Noise by Part of 90028
Average noise levels for 90028 residents, grouped by direction from the center of 90028. The highest population-weighted average is in northeastern 90028; the lowest is in southwestern 90028, where just 43% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, about half the share in the loudest section.
Northeastern 90028
68.3 dBA · Loud
Highway traffic 50 ft away
Eastern 90028
62.3 dBA · Loud
Busy restaurant
Western 90028
60.6 dBA · Loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Southeastern 90028
58.4 dBA · Loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Southwestern 90028
56.2 dBA · Moderate-loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
To the human ear, noise in northeastern 90028 sounds about 131% louder than in southwestern 90028, a 12.1 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 Hollywood Fwy do you need to be?
Hollywood Fwy 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
63 dBA
Busy restaurant
330 ft
55 dBA
Quiet office to normal conversation
660 ft
46 dBA
Quiet office
¼ mile
38 dBA
Soft rainfall
½ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
Calculated from the model's calibrated attenuation formula. About 1% of 90028 sits under tree canopy (much lighter than most zip codes) and roughly 81% 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
Bob Hope (BUR) sits north of 90028. 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 90028, particularly to the south, show no measurable aviation contribution. Use the Aviation toggle on the map above to isolate the airport's footprint.
How Noise Is Distributed Across 90028
The bar chart below shows the share of 90028 residents in each noise band. About 15% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 38% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.
How 90028 Compares
90028 sits the highest among the peer group. Below: how 90028's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with 91604, 90029, 90038, and 91607.
Average noise level (dBA)
90028's 59.7 dBA pop-weighted average is the highest among the peer group. California as a whole averages 54.0 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than 90028 because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 75.2% of 90028 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, 71.6% of 90028's footprint sits above 55 dBA, against a California average of 36.0% and a national average of 28.1%.
What This Means if You're Moving to 90028
- 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 Hollywood Fwy 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 1% of 90028 is under tree cover (much lighter than most zip codes), and the dominant land cover is high-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. Bob Hope's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the north. Neighborhoods to the south of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
