Noise Levels in South Worcester, Worcester, MA | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
60 dBA
Average noise across South Worcester
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
2,909
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
77% of South Worcester residents
84 dBA
Loudest residential point
Food blender at arm’s length
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across South Worcester 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 2,909 South Worcester residents, or 76.9%, live above that level. By land area, 82.7% of South Worcester is above 55 dBA.
17.3% below 55 dBA
82.7% above 55 dBA
See how noise in South Worcester compares to similar-sized neighborhoods.
Noise by Part of South Worcester
Average noise levels for South Worcester residents, grouped by direction from the center of South Worcester. The highest population-weighted average is in eastern South Worcester; the lowest is in central South Worcester, where just 77% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, roughly the same as the share in the loudest section.
Eastern South Worcester
71.5 dBA · Loud
City bus interior
Southern South Worcester
70.0 dBA · Loud
Highway traffic 50 ft away
Western South Worcester
67.2 dBA · Loud
Highway traffic 50 ft away
Central South Worcester
64.7 dBA · Loud
Busy restaurant
To the human ear, noise in eastern South Worcester sounds about 60% louder than in central South Worcester, a 6.8 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 I-290 do you need to be?
I-290 produces an estimated 76 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
76 dBA
City bus interior
165 ft
63 dBA
Busy restaurant
330 ft
56 dBA
Quiet office to normal conversation
660 ft
49 dBA
Quiet office
¼ mile
41 dBA
Quiet suburban street at night
½ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
Calculated from the model's calibrated attenuation formula. About 17% of South Worcester sits under tree canopy (about average for neighborhoods) and roughly 64% 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 South Worcester. 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.
How Noise Is Distributed Across South Worcester
The bar chart below shows the share of South Worcester residents in each noise band. About 18% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 62% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.
How South Worcester Compares
South Worcester sits at the quieter end of the spectrum. Below: how South Worcester's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with Green Island, Central Business District, Vernon Hill, and Lake Park.
Average noise level (dBA)
South Worcester's 60.5 dBA pop-weighted average is at the quieter end of the spectrum. Massachusetts as a whole averages 54.3 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than South Worcester because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 76.9% of South Worcester 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, 82.7% of South Worcester's footprint sits above 55 dBA, against a Massachusetts average of 40.0% and a national average of 28.1%.
What This Means if You're Moving to South Worcester
- 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 I-290 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 17% of South Worcester 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.
