Noise Levels in 94706, CA | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
58 dBA
Average noise across 94706
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
11,940
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
69% of 94706 residents
83 dBA
Loudest residential point
Food blender at arm’s length
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across 94706 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 11,940 94706 residents, or 68.9%, live above that level. By land area, 68.2% of 94706 is above 55 dBA.
31.8% below 55 dBA
68.2% above 55 dBA
See how noise in 94706 compares to similar-sized zip codes.
Noise by Part of 94706
Average noise levels for 94706 residents, grouped by direction from the center of 94706. The highest population-weighted average is in western 94706; the lowest is in southwestern 94706, where just 58% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, roughly the same as the share in the loudest section.
Western 94706
70.4 dBA · Loud
Highway traffic 50 ft away
Northwestern 94706
61.4 dBA · Loud
Busy restaurant
Central 94706
60.1 dBA · Loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Northeastern 94706
59.3 dBA · Loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Southwestern 94706
59.3 dBA · Loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
To the human ear, noise in western 94706 sounds about 116% louder than in southwestern 94706, a 11.1 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 do you need to be?
produces an estimated 83 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 quiet office.
At source
83 dBA
Food blender at arm’s length
165 ft
70 dBA
Highway traffic 50 ft away
330 ft
63 dBA
Busy restaurant
660 ft
55 dBA
Quiet office to normal conversation
¼ mile
48 dBA
Quiet office
½ mile
40 dBA
Soft rainfall
Calculated from the model's calibrated attenuation formula. About 10% of 94706 sits under tree canopy (lighter than most zip codes) and roughly 60% 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 94706. 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 Francisco Bay Oakland International (OAK) sits south of 94706. 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 94706, 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 94706
The bar chart below shows the share of 94706 residents in each noise band. About 22% 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 94706 Compares
94706 sits at the louder end of the spectrum. Below: how 94706's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with 94703, 94702, 94564, and 94618.
Average noise level (dBA)
94706's 58.0 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 94706 because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 68.9% of 94706 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, 68.2% of 94706'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 94706
- 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 10% of 94706 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 Francisco Bay Oakland International's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the south. Neighborhoods to the north of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
