Noise Levels in Springdale, York, PA | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
59 dBA
Average noise across Springdale
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
1,575
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
74% of Springdale residents
73 dBA
Loudest residential point
City bus interior
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across Springdale 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 1,575 Springdale residents, or 73.9%, live above that level. By land area, 68.7% of Springdale is above 55 dBA.
31.3% below 55 dBA
68.7% above 55 dBA
See how noise in Springdale compares to similar-sized neighborhoods.
Noise by Part of Springdale
Average noise levels for Springdale residents, grouped by direction from the center of Springdale. The highest population-weighted average is in northwestern Springdale; the lowest is in southwestern Springdale, where just 48% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, about half the share in the loudest section.
Northwestern Springdale
60.6 dBA · Loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Central Springdale
60.2 dBA · Loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Southeastern Springdale
59.4 dBA · Loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Southwestern Springdale
56.7 dBA · Moderate-loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
To the human ear, noise in northwestern Springdale sounds about 31% louder than in southwestern Springdale, a 3.9 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 do you need to be?
produces an estimated 73 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
73 dBA
City bus interior
165 ft
60 dBA
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
330 ft
53 dBA
Quiet office to normal conversation
660 ft
45 dBA
Quiet suburban street at night
¼ mile
38 dBA
Soft rainfall
½ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
Calculated from the model's calibrated attenuation formula. About 13% of Springdale sits under tree canopy (about average for neighborhoods) and roughly 65% 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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How Noise Is Distributed Across Springdale
The bar chart below shows the share of Springdale residents in each noise band. About 21% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 42% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.
How Springdale Compares
Springdale sits at the louder end of the spectrum. Below: how Springdale's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with tyler-run-queens-gate-york-pa, emigsville-york-pa, Grantley, and Northwest Triangle.
Average noise level (dBA)
Springdale's 58.6 dBA pop-weighted average is at the louder end of the spectrum. Pennsylvania as a whole averages 52.9 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than Springdale because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 73.9% of Springdale 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, 68.7% of Springdale's footprint sits above 55 dBA, against a Pennsylvania average of 33.5% and a national average of 28.1%.
What This Means if You're Moving to Springdale
- 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 13% of Springdale 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.
