Noise Levels in North Meadow Brook, Norfolk, VA | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map

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 1,281 North Meadow Brook residents, or 41.0%, live above that level. By land area, 50.0% of North Meadow Brook is above 55 dBA.

See how noise in North Meadow Brook compares to similar-sized neighborhoods.

Noise by Part of North Meadow Brook

Average noise levels for North Meadow Brook residents, grouped by direction from the center of North Meadow Brook. The highest population-weighted average is in eastern North Meadow Brook; the lowest is in northwestern North Meadow Brook, where just 27% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, about half the share in the loudest section.

To the human ear, noise in eastern North Meadow Brook sounds about 214% louder than in northwestern North Meadow Brook, a 16.5 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.

Rail Noise

Active freight rail runs through parts of North Meadow Brook. 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

Norfolk International (ORF) sits east of North Meadow Brook. 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 North Meadow Brook, 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 North Meadow Brook

The bar chart below shows the share of North Meadow Brook residents in each noise band. About 46% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 30% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.

How North Meadow Brook Compares

North Meadow Brook sits the lowest among the peer group. Below: how North Meadow Brook's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with Highland Park, Park Place, Ghent, and Roosevelt Gardens Area.

Average noise level (dBA)

North Meadow Brook's 54.1 dBA pop-weighted average is the lowest among the peer group. Virginia as a whole averages 52.8 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than North Meadow Brook because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.

Share of residents above 55 dBA

About 41.0% of North Meadow Brook 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, 50.0% of North Meadow Brook's footprint sits above 55 dBA, against a Virginia average of 30.0% and a national average of 28.1%.

What This Means if You're Moving to North Meadow Brook

• 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 22% of North Meadow Brook is under tree cover (heavier than most neighborhoods), 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. Norfolk International's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the east. Neighborhoods to the west of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.

Sources & Methodology