Noise Levels in 94022, CA | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
53 dBA
Average noise across 94022
Quiet office to normal conversation
5,037
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
26% of 94022 residents
86 dBA
Loudest residential point
Lawnmower at 1 m
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across 94022 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 5,037 94022 residents, or 25.9%, live above that level. By land area, 33.5% of 94022 is above 55 dBA.
66.5% below 55 dBA
33.5% above 55 dBA
See how noise in 94022 compares to similar-sized zip codes.
Noise by Part of 94022
Average noise levels for 94022 residents, grouped by direction from the center of 94022. The highest population-weighted average is in southern 94022; the lowest is in eastern 94022, where just 24% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, three-quarters of the share in the loudest section.
Southern 94022
60.1 dBA · Loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Southwestern 94022
59.6 dBA · Loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Central 94022
56.5 dBA · Moderate-loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Northern 94022
55.0 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Eastern 94022
53.5 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
To the human ear, noise in southern 94022 sounds about 58% louder than in eastern 94022, a 6.6 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 Junipero Serra Fwy do you need to be?
Junipero Serra 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
64 dBA
Busy restaurant
330 ft
56 dBA
Quiet office to normal conversation
660 ft
48 dBA
Quiet office
¼ mile
39 dBA
Soft rainfall
½ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
Calculated from the model's calibrated attenuation formula. About 16% of 94022 sits under tree canopy (about average for zip codes) and roughly 35% 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
Norman Y Mineta San Jose International (SJC) sits east of 94022. 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 94022, particularly to the west, show no measurable aviation contribution. Use the Aviation toggle on the map above to isolate the airport's footprint.
How Noise Is Distributed Across 94022
The bar chart below shows the share of 94022 residents in each noise band. About 77% 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 94022 Compares
94022 sits the lowest among the peer group. Below: how 94022's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with 94024, 94089, 94085, and 94306.
Average noise level (dBA)
94022's 53.2 dBA pop-weighted average is the lowest among the peer group. California as a whole averages 54.0 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than 94022 because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 25.9% of 94022 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, 33.5% of 94022'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 94022
- 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 Junipero Serra 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 16% of 94022 is under tree cover (about average for 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. Norman Y Mineta San Jose International's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the east. Neighborhoods to the west of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
