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Decibel chart › 55 dB
How loud is 55 decibels?
55 decibels is about as loud as an outdoor residential area. It is well under the 85 dB hearing-risk line, so it carries no hearing-damage risk at any length of exposure. Sleep is a separate question: the WHO night guideline is 45 dB. On the decibel scale, each 10 dB step sounds roughly twice as loud. Measure it yourself with Decibel Shield's free online decibel meter.
Last updated:
| Sound level | 55 dB |
|---|---|
| Hearing risk | No hearing risk |
| Safe exposure (NIOSH) | No limit — safe at any duration |
What is comparable to 55 decibels?
Everyday examples of sounds around 55 decibels, each sourced to CDC, NIOSH, NIDCD and ASHA. Open any one for its own breakdown, or see the full decibel levels chart.
- Outdoor residential area 55 dB
Cities where 55 dB is the street level
55 dB is an everyday outdoor level in some cities. These pages show official noise-map noise for a whole city: the share of residents at 45–60 dBA in the US, and the daytime range from official noise maps in Europe and the UK.
- Elizabeth, NJ 86.1% of residents at 45–60 dBA
- Ravenna 50–55 dB by day
- Telford 55–65 dB by day
What does 55 decibels sound like?
55 decibels is about as loud as an outdoor residential area. It is well under the 85 dB hearing-risk line, so it carries no hearing-damage risk at any length of exposure. Sleep is a separate question: the WHO night guideline is 45 dB. On the decibel scale, each 10 dB step sounds roughly twice as loud. Measure it yourself with Decibel Shield's free online decibel meter.
Is 55 decibels too loud?
55 decibels is moderate, about the loudness of an outdoor residential area, not what most people would call loud. It sits around everyday conversation and background sound, and is comfortable to hear for any length of time.
How long is 55 decibels safe to hear?
55 dB is below the 85 dB hearing-risk threshold, so there is no daily exposure limit for hearing.
How far away can you hear 55 dB?
In open air a small source measured at 55 dB from 1 m falls to about 35 dB at 10 m and 15 dB at 100 m, losing 6 dB each time the distance doubles. You keep hearing it while it stays above the background level around you: farther in a quiet field at night, much less on a 60 dB street. Walls, ground and wind change the figure.
Work out any distance, or a line source such as a road, with the sound distance calculator.
Measure 55 dB yourself
Want to know if where you are hits 55 dB? Check it live with the free online decibel meter — it runs in your browser, and nothing is recorded or uploaded.