Noise Levels in Central Ave, Albany, NY | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
59 dBA
Average noise across Central Ave
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
2,303
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
78% of Central Ave residents
68 dBA
Loudest residential point
Highway traffic 50 ft away
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across Central Ave 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 2,303 Central Ave residents, or 77.9%, live above that level. By land area, 78.5% of Central Ave is above 55 dBA.
21.5% below 55 dBA
78.5% above 55 dBA
See how noise in Central Ave compares to similar-sized neighborhoods.
Noise by Part of Central Ave
Average noise levels for Central Ave residents, grouped by direction from the center of Central Ave. The highest population-weighted average is in southeastern Central Ave; the lowest is in western Central Ave, where just 51% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, about two-thirds of the share in the loudest section.
Southeastern Central Ave
62.8 dBA · Loud
Busy restaurant
Central Central Ave
61.1 dBA · Loud
Busy restaurant
Northwestern Central Ave
59.9 dBA · Loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Western Central Ave
59.0 dBA · Loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
To the human ear, noise in southeastern Central Ave sounds about 30% louder than in western Central Ave, a 3.8 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 68 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
68 dBA
Highway traffic 50 ft away
165 ft
54 dBA
Quiet office to normal conversation
330 ft
46 dBA
Quiet suburban street at night
660 ft
37 dBA
Soft rainfall
¼ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
½ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
Calculated from the model's calibrated attenuation formula. About 12% of Central Ave sits under tree canopy (about average for neighborhoods) and roughly 76% 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
Albany International (ALB) sits north of Central Ave. 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 55 dBA on the map's Overall layer. Blocks on the opposite side of Central Ave, particularly to the south, show no measurable aviation contribution. Use the Aviation toggle on the map above to isolate the airport's footprint.
How Noise Is Distributed Across Central Ave
The bar chart below shows the share of Central Ave residents in each noise band. About 18% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 42% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.
How Central Ave Compares
Central Ave sits at the louder end of the spectrum. Below: how Central Ave's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with Sheridan Hollow, Helderberg, New Scotland-Woodlawn, and Center Square.
Average noise level (dBA)
Central Ave's 58.7 dBA pop-weighted average is at the louder end of the spectrum. New York as a whole averages 55.4 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than Central Ave because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 77.9% of Central Ave 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, 78.5% of Central Ave's footprint sits above 55 dBA, against a New York average of 30.9% and a national average of 28.1%.
What This Means if You're Moving to Central Ave
- 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 12% of Central Ave is under tree cover (about average for neighborhoods), and the dominant land cover is high-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. Albany International's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the north. Neighborhoods to the south of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
