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The loudest cities in California, ranked by noise exposure

Among California's 66 cities of 100,000 or more residents, Inglewood is the noisiest: 26.3% of its people live with average-day transportation noise of 60 dB or louder, ranking it #1 of 297 US cities. The typical California city in the list sits at 7.2%.

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California cities of 100,000+ residents, ranked by share exposed to ≥60 dB transportation noise (BTS 2020 × ACS 2016–2020)
California # City US # ≥60 dB ≥70 dB 45–60 dB Population
1 Inglewood 1 26.3% 2.9% 63.9% 110,017
2 Santa Clara 3 13.5% 3.1% 56.2% 124,478
3 Fresno 5 12.1% 2.2% 66.6% 488,327
4 East Los Angeles 6 11.2% 4.3% 58.2% 117,839
5 Burbank 7 11.2% 3.3% 56.9% 108,500
6 Richmond 8 11.1% 3.1% 66.1% 106,368
7 Anaheim 10 10.7% 4.2% 31.5% 333,887
8 Orange 11 10.3% 4.4% 32.4% 118,910
9 Norwalk 12 10.1% 4.3% 28.3% 106,313
10 Oakland 13 10% 3.6% 53.1% 422,575
11 Los Angeles 15 9.8% 3.7% 42.6% 3,959,866
12 Compton 16 9.7% 2.9% 33% 103,665
13 San Francisco 18 9.5% 2.7% 34.9% 874,784
14 Stockton 20 9.2% 2.3% 49.8% 289,925
15 Ontario 21 9.1% 4% 80.9% 178,194
16 Hayward 22 9% 3% 77.9% 147,349
17 Santa Ana 23 9% 3.9% 35.8% 325,359
18 Sunnyvale 25 8.9% 4% 44.2% 159,216
19 Pomona 27 8.9% 3.2% 61.7% 151,424
20 Sacramento 28 8.9% 2.7% 62.9% 492,077
21 San Jose 29 8.8% 3.3% 41% 984,403
22 Long Beach 30 8.5% 3.7% 67.2% 463,504
23 Fullerton 31 8.5% 3.4% 47.5% 155,640
24 Glendale 32 8.3% 3% 48.5% 199,357
25 San Diego 33 8.3% 3.1% 43.6% 1,414,853
26 Garden Grove 34 8.2% 3.8% 20.1% 184,722
27 Irvine 37 7.9% 3.4% 29.7% 269,716
28 Costa Mesa 38 7.8% 3.2% 55.2% 115,397
29 Mission Viejo 39 7.7% 2.6% 21% 100,214
30 Pasadena 43 7.6% 3% 31.4% 142,063
31 Torrance 44 7.6% 3.5% 20.8% 144,430
32 Concord 46 7.4% 2.9% 40.2% 137,473
33 Downey 49 7.2% 3.8% 39.2% 109,815
34 Fremont 50 7.1% 2.6% 38.9% 234,829
35 Berkeley 55 6.8% 1.7% 44.1% 123,065
36 Vallejo 57 6.7% 2.1% 18.2% 115,463
37 El Monte 70 6.2% 2.4% 25.8% 113,817
38 Oxnard 73 6.1% 1.3% 53.5% 188,232
39 Thousand Oaks 76 6.1% 2% 13.5% 127,782
40 San Bernardino 78 6% 2.7% 44.3% 216,673
41 Escondido 82 5.8% 2.1% 18.9% 127,074
42 Huntington Beach 84 5.8% 2.7% 21.9% 195,835
43 Riverside 91 5.7% 1.7% 34.2% 317,360
44 Modesto 93 5.7% 1.7% 37.6% 188,833
45 Carlsbad 106 5.2% 1.9% 46.7% 118,198
46 Rancho Cucamonga 109 5.2% 2.5% 18.2% 178,060
47 Elk Grove 116 5.1% 1.4% 26.3% 159,273
48 Salinas 117 5.1% 1.6% 47.9% 134,204
49 Santa Rosa 133 4.8% 1.5% 23.5% 143,050
50 Roseville 137 4.7% 1.3% 27.8% 121,304
51 Corona 140 4.7% 1.6% 32.1% 154,657
52 Bakersfield 143 4.7% 1.4% 23% 363,313
53 Simi Valley 150 4.6% 1.8% 19.8% 113,438
54 Santa Clarita 157 4.5% 2.1% 12.4% 209,153
55 Victorville 173 4.3% 1.6% 25.2% 109,149
56 Murrieta 177 4.2% 2.4% 10.6% 108,134
57 Visalia 190 4% 1.3% 19.5% 122,629
58 Clovis 195 3.9% 1.2% 39.5% 106,483
59 Oceanside 196 3.9% 1.7% 16.5% 180,288
60 Jurupa Valley 200 3.9% 1.4% 20.5% 110,181
61 Chula Vista 229 3.4% 1.1% 29% 261,780
62 Palmdale 248 3.1% 1.2% 14% 157,508
63 Fontana 253 3% 1.4% 23.4% 207,738
64 Moreno Valley 265 2.7% 1.3% 12.5% 184,230
65 Lancaster 278 2.2% 0.6% 10.3% 163,159
66 Temecula 285 1.9% 0.8% 6.1% 102,413

Across California, 66 cities of 100,000+ make the measured ranking — 18,597,965 people combined. In order of residents above 60 dB: Inglewood (26.3%), Santa Clara (13.5%), Fresno (12.1%), East Los Angeles (11.2%), Burbank (11.2%), Richmond (11.1%), Anaheim (10.7%), Orange (10.3%), then 58 more, down to Temecula at 1.9%. The midpoint sits at 7.2%, with 10 cities clearing 10%. Orange leads the state for residents in the severe 70 dB+ band at 4.4%. Los Angeles, the biggest of the 66 with 3,959,866 residents, sits at 9.8% (national #15). Behind Inglewood's headline 26.3%, 2.9% of its residents are in the severe 70 dB+ band and 63.9% in the moderate 45–60 dB range.

All of it is measured: the BTS 2020 noise map over ACS 2016–2020 population, aggregated to each city by the University of Washington, covering road, rail and aviation. Open any California city below for its full census-tract map, then measure your own street with the free live meter.

Which California cities are the noisiest?

By this federal data the noisiest California cities are the same as the loudest, since "noisiest" here means measured road, rail and aviation exposure: Inglewood, Santa Clara, Fresno top the list, led by Inglewood at 26.3%. The full ranking is in the table above.

California noise: the numbers

  • 66 California cities of 100,000+ residents are in the ranking — 1st-most of any state.
  • Loudest: Inglewood at 26.3% of residents above 60 dB (national #1 of 297).
  • Highest severe exposure: Orange, 4.4% of residents above 70 dB.
  • Median California city: 7.2% above 60 dB; 10 of 66 clear 10%.
  • Combined population of the 66: 18,597,965 (ACS 2016–2020).

How this ranking is measured

These are the same federal measurements behind the national ranking of all 297 US cities — the BTS 2020 National Transportation Noise Map (road + rail + aviation) overlaid with Census ACS 2016–2020 population at census-tract level, with no estimation by us. Full methodology and the free CSV/JSON are on that page. It counts transportation noise only: sirens, construction and nightlife are outside the model.

How loud is your street?

Rankings describe city averages — your block is its own story. Check it with the free online decibel meter, or open any city above for its full census-tract noise map.

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