Noise Levels in South Semoran, Orlando, FL | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
52 dBA
Average noise across South Semoran
Quiet office to normal conversation
2,251
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
20% of South Semoran residents
64 dBA
Loudest residential point
Busy restaurant
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across South Semoran 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 2,251 South Semoran residents, or 19.6%, live above that level. By land area, 31.7% of South Semoran is above 55 dBA.
68.3% below 55 dBA
31.7% above 55 dBA
See how noise in South Semoran compares to similar-sized neighborhoods.
Noise by Part of South Semoran
Average noise levels for South Semoran residents, grouped by direction from the center of South Semoran. The highest population-weighted average is in northwestern South Semoran; the lowest is in eastern South Semoran, where just 18% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, about half the share in the loudest section.
Northwestern South Semoran
55.3 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Western South Semoran
55.3 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Southern South Semoran
54.4 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Southeastern South Semoran
53.7 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Eastern South Semoran
53.4 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
To the human ear, noise in northwestern South Semoran sounds about 14% louder than in eastern South Semoran, a 1.9 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 Semoran Blvd do you need to be?
Semoran Blvd produces an estimated 69 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
69 dBA
Highway traffic 50 ft away
165 ft
55 dBA
Quiet office to normal conversation
330 ft
47 dBA
Quiet office
660 ft
39 dBA
Soft rainfall
¼ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
½ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
Calculated from the model's calibrated attenuation formula. About 14% of South Semoran sits under tree canopy (about average for neighborhoods) and roughly 52% 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
Orlando International (MCO) sits south of South Semoran. The U.S. Department of Transportation measures aviation noise around this airport directly, 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 South Semoran, 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 South Semoran
The bar chart below shows the share of South Semoran residents in each noise band. About 70% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 0% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.
How South Semoran Compares
South Semoran sits at the quieter end of the spectrum. Below: how South Semoran's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with Vista East, Baldwin Park, Conway, and Englewood Park.
Average noise level (dBA)
South Semoran's 52.5 dBA pop-weighted average is at the quieter end of the spectrum. Florida as a whole averages 51.6 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than South Semoran because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 19.6% of South Semoran 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, 31.7% of South Semoran's footprint sits above 55 dBA, against a Florida average of 31.8% and a national average of 28.1%.
What This Means if You're Moving to South Semoran
- 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 Semoran Blvd 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 14% of South Semoran 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. Orlando International's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the south. Neighborhoods to the north of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
