Noise Levels in 92663, CA | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
54 dBA
Average noise across 92663
Quiet office to normal conversation
5,828
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
41% of 92663 residents
78 dBA
Loudest residential point
City bus interior
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across 92663 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 5,828 92663 residents, or 41.2%, live above that level. By land area, 63.4% of 92663 is above 55 dBA.
36.6% below 55 dBA
63.4% above 55 dBA
See how noise in 92663 compares to similar-sized zip codes.
Noise by Part of 92663
Average noise levels for 92663 residents, grouped by direction from the center of 92663. The highest population-weighted average is in central 92663; the lowest is in northwestern 92663, where just 29% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, about half the share in the loudest section.
Central 92663
66.3 dBA · Loud
Highway traffic 50 ft away
Northern 92663
63.9 dBA · Loud
Busy restaurant
Northeastern 92663
58.6 dBA · Loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Eastern 92663
54.3 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Northwestern 92663
51.9 dBA · Moderate
Quiet office to normal conversation
To the human ear, noise in central 92663 sounds about 171% louder than in northwestern 92663, a 14.4 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 do you need to be?
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
64 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 3% of 92663 sits under tree canopy (much lighter than most zip codes) and roughly 63% 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
John Wayne/Orange County (SNA) sits northeast of 92663. 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 50 dBA on the map's Overall layer. Blocks on the opposite side of 92663, particularly to the southwest, show no measurable aviation contribution. Use the Aviation toggle on the map above to isolate the airport's footprint.
How Noise Is Distributed Across 92663
The bar chart below shows the share of 92663 residents in each noise band. About 57% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 10% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.
How 92663 Compares
92663 sits at the quieter end of the spectrum. Below: how 92663's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with 92617, 92866, 92603, and 92625.
Average noise level (dBA)
92663's 54.0 dBA pop-weighted average is at the quieter end of the spectrum. California as a whole averages 54.0 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than 92663 because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 41.2% of 92663 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, 63.4% of 92663'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 92663
- 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 3% of 92663 is under tree cover (much 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. John Wayne/Orange County's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the northeast. Neighborhoods to the southwest of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
