Noise Levels in Sommerset West-Elmonica South, Hillsboro, OR | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
56 dBA
Average noise across Sommerset West-Elmonica South
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
7,904
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
47% of Sommerset West-Elmonica South residents
80 dBA
Loudest residential point
City bus interior
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across Sommerset West-Elmonica South 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 7,904 Sommerset West-Elmonica South residents, or 46.6%, live above that level. By land area, 49.6% of Sommerset West-Elmonica South is above 55 dBA.
50.4% below 55 dBA
49.6% above 55 dBA
See how noise in Sommerset West-Elmonica South compares to similar-sized neighborhoods.
Noise by Part of Sommerset West-Elmonica South
Average noise levels for Sommerset West-Elmonica South residents, grouped by direction from the center of Sommerset West-Elmonica South. Western Sommerset West-Elmonica South carries the highest population-weighted average; Central Sommerset West-Elmonica South carries the lowest. Just 50% of residents in Central Sommerset West-Elmonica South live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, roughly the same as the share in Western Sommerset West-Elmonica South.
Central Sommerset West-Elmonica South
53.6 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Eastern Sommerset West-Elmonica South
55.4 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Northern Sommerset West-Elmonica South
55.7 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Southern Sommerset West-Elmonica South
57.2 dBA · Moderate-loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Western Sommerset West-Elmonica South
57.6 dBA · Moderate-loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Western Sommerset West-Elmonica South sounds about 32% louder than Central Sommerset West-Elmonica South to the human ear, a 4.0 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 80 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
80 dBA
City bus interior
165 ft
67 dBA
Highway traffic 50 ft away
330 ft
60 dBA
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
660 ft
52 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 19% of Sommerset West-Elmonica South sits under tree canopy (about average for neighborhoods) and roughly 66% 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 Sommerset West-Elmonica South. 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
Portland International (PDX) sits east of Sommerset West-Elmonica South. 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 50 dBA on the map's Overall layer. Blocks on the opposite side of Sommerset West-Elmonica South, 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 Sommerset West-Elmonica South
The bar chart below shows the share of Sommerset West-Elmonica South residents in each noise band. About 26% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 13% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.
How Sommerset West-Elmonica South Compares
Sommerset West-Elmonica South sits at the quieter end of the spectrum. Below: how Sommerset West-Elmonica South's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with Cedar Hills-Cedar Mill, Far Southwest, Northwest, and Central Beaverton.
Average noise level (dBA)
Sommerset West-Elmonica South's 56.2 dBA pop-weighted average is at the quieter end of the spectrum. Oregon as a whole averages 52.9 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than Sommerset West-Elmonica South because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 46.6% of Sommerset West-Elmonica South 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, 49.6% of Sommerset West-Elmonica South's footprint sits above 55 dBA, against a Oregon average of 24.2% and a national average of 28.1%.
What This Means if You're Moving to Sommerset West-Elmonica South
- 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 19% of Sommerset West-Elmonica South is under tree cover (about average for 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. Portland International's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the east. Neighborhoods to the west of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
