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Pico-Union noise map: how loud is it?
Pico-Union sits in the middle of Los Angeles's noise range: 11% of residents face 60 dB or louder average-day transportation noise — road, rail and aviation combined — ranking it 42nd of 110 Los Angeles neighborhoods. Zoom the map below to see which blocks run loud and which stay calm.
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| Rank in Los Angeles (of 110 neighborhoods) | #42 |
|---|---|
| Residents above 60 dB | 11% |
| Residents above 70 dB | 5.5% |
| Residents in the 45–60 dB band | 28.4% |
| Residents (ACS 2016–2020, area-weighted) | 39,931 |
| Census tracts mapped | 23 |
Pico-Union is home to about 39,931 residents across 23 census tracts. 11% of them are exposed to 60 dB or more of average-day road, rail and aviation noise. Within that, 5.5% face the most severe band — 70 dB or louder, the level at which sustained exposure starts to threaten hearing. A further 28.4% sit in the 45–60 dB band — a noticeable background hum rather than a hearing risk. That ranks Pico-Union #42 of 110 Los Angeles neighborhoods, louder than most Los Angeles neighborhoods. Among Los Angeles neighborhoods it sits just below Wilmington (#41) and just above Arlington Heights (#43).
Exposure across Pico-Union is a patchwork. The streets that back onto a freeway, rail line or flight path carry most of the 11%, while interior blocks a few hundred feet away can sit 15 to 25 dB quieter. The map makes that split easy to see.
Pico-Union noise: the specifics
- Ranks #42 of 110 Los Angeles neighborhoods by share of residents exposed to ≥60 dB transportation noise.
- 11% of Pico-Union's ~39,931 residents live with 60 dB or louder average-day transportation noise.
- 5.5% are in the severe 70 dB+ band; 28.4% sit in the 45–60 dB moderate range.
- Area-weighted across 23 census tracts from the federal BTS 2020 noise map × ACS 2016–2020 population.
- #42 of 110 — see the full Los Angeles ranking.
What share of Pico-Union residents are exposed to 60 dB or louder transportation noise?
11% of Pico-Union residents live with average-day transportation noise (road, rail and aviation) at or above 60 dB, and 5.5% are above 70 dB — ranking Pico-Union #42 of 110 Los Angeles neighborhoods by noise exposure.
How Pico-Union compares
How this is measured
This is a transparent aggregation of federal data, not an estimate: the US DOT 2020 National Transportation Noise Map (road + rail + aviation), paired with Census population by the University of Washington and area-weighted to the Los Angeles Times boundary for Pico-Union. It does not count sirens, construction, nightlife or neighbors, and it resolves busy corridors better than quiet local streets. For your exact spot, measure it with the free online decibel meter →
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