Noise Levels in Monte Flores, San Juan, PR | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
60 dBA
Average noise across Monte Flores
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
3,948
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
73% of Monte Flores residents
81 dBA
Loudest residential point
Food blender at arm’s length
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across Monte Flores 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 3,948 Monte Flores residents, or 73.4%, live above that level. By land area, 82.8% of Monte Flores is above 55 dBA.
17.2% below 55 dBA
82.8% above 55 dBA
See how noise in Monte Flores compares to similar-sized neighborhoods.
Noise by Part of Monte Flores
Average noise levels for Monte Flores residents, grouped by direction from the center of Monte Flores. The highest population-weighted average is in western Monte Flores; the lowest is in southeastern Monte Flores, where just 80% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, roughly the same as the share in the loudest section.
Western Monte Flores
67.9 dBA · Loud
Highway traffic 50 ft away
Northwestern Monte Flores
65.3 dBA · Loud
Busy restaurant
Central Monte Flores
60.7 dBA · Loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Northeastern Monte Flores
59.2 dBA · Loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Southeastern Monte Flores
57.5 dBA · Moderate-loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
To the human ear, noise in western Monte Flores sounds about 106% louder than in southeastern Monte Flores, a 10.4 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 81 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 suburban street at night.
At source
81 dBA
Food blender at arm’s length
165 ft
68 dBA
Highway traffic 50 ft away
330 ft
61 dBA
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
660 ft
53 dBA
Quiet office to normal conversation
¼ mile
45 dBA
Quiet suburban street at night
½ mile
38 dBA
Soft rainfall
Calculated from the model's calibrated attenuation formula. About 0% of Monte Flores sits under tree canopy (about average for neighborhoods) and roughly 0% 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
Luis Munoz Marin International (SJU) sits east of Monte Flores. 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 Monte Flores, 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 Monte Flores
The bar chart below shows the share of Monte Flores residents in each noise band. About 15% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 40% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.
How Monte Flores Compares
Monte Flores sits at the quieter end of the spectrum. Below: how Monte Flores's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with Machuchal, San Mateo, Jardines de Caparra, and Urbanizacion University Gdns.
Average noise level (dBA)
Monte Flores's 59.6 dBA pop-weighted average is at the quieter end of the spectrum. Puerto Rico as a whole averages 52.9 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than Monte Flores because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 73.4% of Monte Flores 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, 82.8% of Monte Flores's footprint sits above 55 dBA, against a Puerto Rico average of 36.1% and a national average of 28.1%.
What This Means if You're Moving to Monte Flores
- 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 0% of Monte Flores is under tree cover (about average for neighborhoods), and the dominant land cover is . 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. Luis Munoz Marin International's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the east. Neighborhoods to the west of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
