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Flatbush noise map: how loud is it?

Flatbush sits in the middle of New York's noise range: 5.3% of residents face 60 dB or louder average-day transportation noise — road, rail and aviation combined — ranking it 107th of 197 New York neighborhoods. Zoom the map below to see which blocks run loud and which stay calm.

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Transportation-noise map of Flatbush, New York: the neighborhood outlined in white over modeled road, rail and aircraft noise, colored from amber (about 45 dBA) through red and purple to blue (90 dBA and up).
Flatbush outlined over the modeled 24-hour transportation-noise level (LAeq, dBA) from the US DOT BTS 2020 National Transportation Noise Map. Boundary © LA Times; streets and water © OpenStreetMap contributors, © CARTO.
Interactive map Open Flatbush on the live noise map → Zoom to any block over the federal BTS raster, or use your location.
Flatbush noise exposure at a glance
Rank in New York (of 197 neighborhoods) #107
Residents above 60 dB 5.3%
Residents above 70 dB 0%
Residents in the 45–60 dB band 52.4%
Residents (ACS 2016–2020, area-weighted) 67,184
Census tracts mapped 30

Flatbush is home to about 67,184 residents across 30 census tracts. 5.3% of them are exposed to 60 dB or more of average-day road, rail and aviation noise. Almost none of Flatbush reaches the most severe 70 dB+ band. A further 52.4% sit in the 45–60 dB band — a noticeable background hum rather than a hearing risk. That ranks Flatbush #107 of 197 New York neighborhoods, quieter than most New York neighborhoods. Among New York neighborhoods it sits just below South Richmond Hill (#106) and just above Ocean Hill (#108).

Exposure across Flatbush is a patchwork. The streets that back onto a freeway, rail line or flight path carry most of the 5.3%, while interior blocks a few hundred feet away can sit 15 to 25 dB quieter. The map makes that split easy to see.

Flatbush noise: the specifics

  • Ranks #107 of 197 New York neighborhoods by share of residents exposed to ≥60 dB transportation noise.
  • 5.3% of Flatbush's ~67,184 residents live with 60 dB or louder average-day transportation noise.
  • 0% are in the severe 70 dB+ band; 52.4% sit in the 45–60 dB moderate range.
  • Area-weighted across 30 census tracts from the federal BTS 2020 noise map × ACS 2016–2020 population.
  • #107 of 197 — see the full New York ranking.

What share of Flatbush residents are exposed to 60 dB or louder transportation noise?

5.3% of Flatbush residents live with average-day transportation noise (road, rail and aviation) at or above 60 dB, and 0% are above 70 dB — ranking Flatbush #107 of 197 New York neighborhoods by noise exposure.

How Flatbush 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 New York Times boundary for Flatbush. 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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