This map shows modeled outdoor noise across West Side Squires 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 2,266 West Side Squires residents, or 55.3%, live above that level. By land area, 53.0% of West Side Squires is above 55 dBA.
See how noise in West Side Squires compares to similar-sized neighborhoods.
Noise by Part of West Side Squires
Average noise levels for West Side Squires residents, grouped by direction from the center of West Side Squires. Northern West Side Squires carries the highest population-weighted average; Southern West Side Squires carries the lowest. Just 29% of residents in Southern West Side Squires live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, about half the share in Northern West Side Squires.
Central West Side Squires
61% of people above 55 dBA
Eastern West Side Squires
36% of people above 55 dBA
Northern West Side Squires
76% of people above 55 dBA
Southern West Side Squires
29% of people above 55 dBA
Western West Side Squires
45% of people above 55 dBA
Northern West Side Squires sounds about 17% louder than Southern West Side Squires to the human ear, a 2.3 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 64 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.
Calculated from the model's calibrated attenuation formula. About 18% of West Side Squires sits under tree canopy (about average for neighborhoods) and roughly 51% 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.