Noise Levels in 92011, CA | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
57 dBA
Average noise across 92011
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
10,793
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
54% of 92011 residents
93 dBA
Loudest residential point
Power saw
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across 92011 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 10,793 92011 residents, or 54.2%, live above that level. By land area, 61.0% of 92011 is above 55 dBA.
39.0% below 55 dBA
61.0% above 55 dBA
See how noise in 92011 compares to similar-sized zip codes.
Noise by Part of 92011
Average noise levels for 92011 residents, grouped by direction from the center of 92011. The highest population-weighted average is in southwestern 92011; the lowest is in eastern 92011, where just 30% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, about half the share in the loudest section.
Southwestern 92011
63.5 dBA · Loud
Busy restaurant
Northwestern 92011
61.0 dBA · Loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Southeastern 92011
57.5 dBA · Moderate-loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Central 92011
54.2 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Eastern 92011
54.1 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
To the human ear, noise in southwestern 92011 sounds about 92% louder than in eastern 92011, a 9.4 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 San Diego Fwy do you need to be?
San Diego Fwy 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
57 dBA
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
660 ft
49 dBA
Quiet office
¼ mile
41 dBA
Soft rainfall
½ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
Calculated from the model's calibrated attenuation formula. About 10% of 92011 sits under tree canopy (lighter than most zip codes) and roughly 48% 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 92011. 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
San Diego International (SAN) sits south of 92011. 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 90 dBA on the map's Overall layer. Blocks on the opposite side of 92011, particularly to the north, show no measurable aviation contribution. Use the Aviation toggle on the map above to isolate the airport's footprint.
How Noise Is Distributed Across 92011
The bar chart below shows the share of 92011 residents in each noise band. About 48% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 18% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.
How 92011 Compares
92011 sits the highest among the peer group. Below: how 92011's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with 92010, 92029, 92008, and 92081.
Average noise level (dBA)
92011's 57.1 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 92011 because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 54.2% of 92011 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, 61.0% of 92011'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 92011
- 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 San Diego 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 10% of 92011 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. San Diego International's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the south. Neighborhoods to the north of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
