Noise Levels in 91030, CA | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
58 dBA
Average noise across 91030
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
12,508
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
56% of 91030 residents
82 dBA
Loudest residential point
Food blender at arm’s length
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across 91030 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 12,508 91030 residents, or 56.1%, live above that level. By land area, 63.3% of 91030 is above 55 dBA.
36.7% below 55 dBA
63.3% above 55 dBA
See how noise in 91030 compares to similar-sized zip codes.
Noise by Part of 91030
Average noise levels for 91030 residents, grouped by direction from the center of 91030. The highest population-weighted average is in northern 91030; the lowest is in southwestern 91030, where just 16% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, a fifth of the share in the loudest section.
Northern 91030
66.4 dBA · Loud
Highway traffic 50 ft away
Northwestern 91030
65.6 dBA · Loud
Busy restaurant
Southern 91030
59.8 dBA · Loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Western 91030
55.8 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Southwestern 91030
51.3 dBA · Moderate
Quiet office to normal conversation
To the human ear, noise in northern 91030 sounds about 185% louder than in southwestern 91030, a 15.1 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 Pasadena Fwy do you need to be?
Pasadena Fwy produces an estimated 77 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
77 dBA
City bus interior
165 ft
63 dBA
Busy restaurant
330 ft
55 dBA
Quiet office to normal conversation
660 ft
47 dBA
Quiet office
¼ mile
39 dBA
Soft rainfall
½ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
Calculated from the model's calibrated attenuation formula. About 13% of 91030 sits under tree canopy (lighter than most zip codes) and roughly 54% 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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Rail Noise
Active freight rail runs through parts of 91030. For most blocks the rail-only contribution is small. Combined road-plus-rail noise rarely exceeds road noise on its own. The exceptions are the handful of blocks within roughly a quarter mile of the right-of-way during pass-through hours.
Use the Rail toggle on the map above to isolate rail's contribution from road and aviation.
Airport Noise
Bob Hope (BUR) sits northwest of 91030. 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 91030, particularly to the southeast, show no measurable aviation contribution. Use the Aviation toggle on the map above to isolate the airport's footprint.
How Noise Is Distributed Across 91030
The bar chart below shows the share of 91030 residents in each noise band. About 38% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 29% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.
How 91030 Compares
91030 sits at the louder end of the spectrum. Below: how 91030's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with 91106, 91775, 91803, and 91103.
Average noise level (dBA)
91030's 57.6 dBA pop-weighted average is at the louder end of the spectrum. California as a whole averages 54.0 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than 91030 because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 56.1% of 91030 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, 63.3% of 91030'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 91030
- 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 Pasadena 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 13% of 91030 is under tree cover (lighter than most 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. Bob Hope's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the northwest. Neighborhoods to the southeast of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
