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Kew Gardens Hills noise map: how loud is it?
Kew Gardens Hills is one of New York's quieter neighborhoods: just 3.5% of residents face 60 dB or louder average-day transportation noise (road, rail and aviation), ranking it 141st of 197 New York neighborhoods. Most streets sit well back from any freeway, rail line or flight path; the map shows where the noise does reach.
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| Rank in New York (of 197 neighborhoods) | #141 |
|---|---|
| Residents above 60 dB | 3.5% |
| Residents above 70 dB | 0.9% |
| Residents in the 45–60 dB band | 96.5% |
| Residents (ACS 2016–2020, area-weighted) | 33,788 |
| Census tracts mapped | 17 |
Kew Gardens Hills is home to about 33,788 residents across 17 census tracts. 3.5% of them are exposed to 60 dB or more of average-day road, rail and aviation noise. Within that, 0.9% face the most severe band — 70 dB or louder, the level at which sustained exposure starts to threaten hearing. A further 96.5% sit in the 45–60 dB band — a noticeable background hum rather than a hearing risk. That ranks Kew Gardens Hills #141 of 197 New York neighborhoods, quieter than most New York neighborhoods. Among New York neighborhoods it sits just below Cypress Hills (#140) and just above East New York-New Lots (#142).
Kew Gardens Hills mostly sits away from the loud corridors. Where the noise does climb it traces a single freeway, rail line or flight path near the edge of the neighborhood rather than the residential core, so the great majority of blocks stay calm. The map pinpoints exactly where the exposure is.
Kew Gardens Hills noise: the specifics
- Ranks #141 of 197 New York neighborhoods by share of residents exposed to ≥60 dB transportation noise.
- 3.5% of Kew Gardens Hills's ~33,788 residents live with 60 dB or louder average-day transportation noise.
- 0.9% are in the severe 70 dB+ band; 96.5% sit in the 45–60 dB moderate range.
- Area-weighted across 17 census tracts from the federal BTS 2020 noise map × ACS 2016–2020 population.
- #141 of 197 — see the full New York ranking.
What share of Kew Gardens Hills residents are exposed to 60 dB or louder transportation noise?
3.5% of Kew Gardens Hills residents live with average-day transportation noise (road, rail and aviation) at or above 60 dB, and 0.9% are above 70 dB — ranking Kew Gardens Hills #141 of 197 New York neighborhoods by noise exposure.
How Kew Gardens Hills 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 Kew Gardens Hills. 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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