Berkeley noise map: where the city is loudest

Berkeley's 34 census tracts span the full range of the federal noise map. Of its 123,065 residents, 6.8% are exposed to 60 dB or more of average-day road, rail and aviation noise. Within that, 1.7% face the most severe band — 70 dB or louder, the level at which sustained exposure starts damaging hearing. A further 44.1% sit in the 45–60 dB band — a noticeable background hum rather than a hearing risk. Overall the city ranks #55 of 297, above the national median.

Among California's 66 cities of 100,000+ residents, Berkeley is the 35th-loudest. Nationally it sits just below Hialeah, FL (#54) and just above Madison, WI (#56).

On the map, green tracts are the quietest and red tracts the loudest, with each colored by the share of its own residents above 60 dB — so you can see exactly which parts of Berkeley carry the noise. The loudest tracts track the city's busiest road, rail and flight corridors. These are measured values from the US DOT's 2020 National Transportation Noise Map paired with Census population, aggregated to tracts by the University of Washington — real data per tract, no interpolation and no estimate.

Berkeley noise: the specifics

• Ranks #55 of 297 US cities (100k+ pop) by share of residents exposed to ≥60 dB transportation noise.
• 6.8% of Berkeley's 123,065 residents live with 60 dB or louder average-day transportation noise.
• 1.7% are in the severe 70 dB+ band; 44.1% sit in the 45–60 dB moderate range.
• Computed across 34 census tracts from the federal BTS 2020 noise map × ACS 2016–2020 population.
• 6.8% of residents above 60 dB ranks #55 of 297 US cities — see the full measured ranking.