Decibel Shield
US cities › New York › Prospect Heights
Prospect Heights noise map: how loud is it?
Prospect Heights sits in the middle of New York's noise range: 4.1% of residents face 60 dB or louder average-day transportation noise — road, rail and aviation combined — ranking it 131st of 197 New York neighborhoods. Zoom the map below to see which blocks run loud and which stay calm.
Last updated:
| Rank in New York (of 197 neighborhoods) | #131 |
|---|---|
| Residents above 60 dB | 4.1% |
| Residents above 70 dB | 0% |
| Residents in the 45–60 dB band | 89.4% |
| Residents (ACS 2016–2020, area-weighted) | 22,432 |
| Census tracts mapped | 14 |
Prospect Heights is home to about 22,432 residents across 14 census tracts. 4.1% of them are exposed to 60 dB or more of average-day road, rail and aviation noise. Almost none of Prospect Heights reaches the most severe 70 dB+ band. A further 89.4% sit in the 45–60 dB band — a noticeable background hum rather than a hearing risk. That ranks Prospect Heights #131 of 197 New York neighborhoods, quieter than most New York neighborhoods. Among New York neighborhoods it sits just below Clinton Hill (#130) and just above Cambria Heights (#132).
Exposure across Prospect Heights is a patchwork. The streets that back onto a freeway, rail line or flight path carry most of the 4.1%, while interior blocks a few hundred feet away can sit 15 to 25 dB quieter. The map makes that split easy to see.
Prospect Heights noise: the specifics
- Ranks #131 of 197 New York neighborhoods by share of residents exposed to ≥60 dB transportation noise.
- 4.1% of Prospect Heights's ~22,432 residents live with 60 dB or louder average-day transportation noise.
- 0% are in the severe 70 dB+ band; 89.4% sit in the 45–60 dB moderate range.
- Area-weighted across 14 census tracts from the federal BTS 2020 noise map × ACS 2016–2020 population.
- #131 of 197 — see the full New York ranking.
What share of Prospect Heights residents are exposed to 60 dB or louder transportation noise?
4.1% of Prospect Heights residents live with average-day transportation noise (road, rail and aviation) at or above 60 dB, and 0% are above 70 dB — ranking Prospect Heights #131 of 197 New York neighborhoods by noise exposure.
How Prospect Heights 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 Prospect Heights. 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 →
← All New York neighborhoods · Interactive US noise map · All US cities