Noise Levels in University Park-Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
52 dBA
Average noise across University Park-Jacksonville
Quiet office to normal conversation
740
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
25% of University Park-Jacksonville residents
60 dBA
Loudest residential point
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across University Park-Jacksonville 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 740 University Park-Jacksonville residents, or 25.3%, live above that level. By land area, 30.0% of University Park-Jacksonville is above 55 dBA.
70.0% below 55 dBA
30.0% above 55 dBA
See how noise in University Park-Jacksonville compares to similar-sized neighborhoods.
Noise by Part of University Park-Jacksonville
Average noise levels for University Park-Jacksonville residents, grouped by direction from the center of University Park-Jacksonville. The highest population-weighted average is in central University Park-Jacksonville; the lowest is in western University Park-Jacksonville, where just 19% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, roughly the same as the share in the loudest section.
Central University Park-Jacksonville
51.9 dBA · Moderate
Quiet office to normal conversation
Eastern University Park-Jacksonville
51.8 dBA · Moderate
Quiet office to normal conversation
Northwestern University Park-Jacksonville
50.8 dBA · Moderate
Quiet office
Southwestern University Park-Jacksonville
50.7 dBA · Moderate
Quiet office
Western University Park-Jacksonville
50.7 dBA · Moderate
Quiet office
To the human ear, noise in central University Park-Jacksonville sounds about 9% louder than in western University Park-Jacksonville, a 1.2 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 60 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
60 dBA
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
165 ft
46 dBA
Quiet office
330 ft
39 dBA
Soft rainfall
660 ft
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
¼ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
½ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
Calculated from the model's calibrated attenuation formula. About 32% of University Park-Jacksonville sits under tree canopy (much heavier than most neighborhoods) and roughly 32% 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
Jacksonville International (JAX) sits northwest of University Park-Jacksonville. 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 45 dBA on the map's Overall layer. Blocks on the opposite side of University Park-Jacksonville, particularly to the southeast, show no measurable aviation contribution. Use the Aviation toggle on the map above to isolate the airport's footprint.
How Noise Is Distributed Across University Park-Jacksonville
The bar chart below shows the share of University Park-Jacksonville residents in each noise band. About 93% 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 University Park-Jacksonville Compares
University Park-Jacksonville sits the lowest among the peer group. Below: how University Park-Jacksonville's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with Monterey, Lake Forest, fairways-forest-jacksonville-fl, and lake-forest-hills-jacksonville-fl.
Average noise level (dBA)
University Park-Jacksonville's 51.5 dBA pop-weighted average is the lowest among the peer group. Florida as a whole averages 51.6 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than University Park-Jacksonville because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 25.3% of University Park-Jacksonville residents live in blocks where outdoor levels exceed the EPA's 55 dBA threshold. That's fewer than any of its peer group. Measured by land area instead, 30.0% of University Park-Jacksonville'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 University Park-Jacksonville
- 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 32% of University Park-Jacksonville is under tree cover (much heavier than most neighborhoods), and the dominant land cover is low-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. Jacksonville International's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the northwest. Neighborhoods to the southeast of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
