Decibel Shield
US cities › Nebraska
The loudest cities in Nebraska, ranked by noise exposure
2 Nebraska cities make the measured federal noise ranking. Lincoln leads with 3.6% of residents above 60 dB of road, rail and aviation noise, while half the state's ranked cities fall at or below 3.4%.
Last updated:
| Nebraska # | City | US # | ≥60 dB | ≥70 dB | 45–60 dB | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lincoln | 214 | 3.6% | 0.8% | 41.1% | 263,617 |
| 2 | Omaha | 240 | 3.2% | 0.8% | 18.1% | 464,229 |
Nebraska's 2 ranked cities are home to 727,846 residents. By share above 60 dB the field reads Lincoln (3.6%), Omaha (3.2%), ending at Omaha (3.2%). The median lands at 3.4%, and 0 of 2 sit above the 10% line. Lincoln carries the state's worst severe exposure — 0.8% of residents above 70 dB, the hearing-risk threshold — while Omaha, the largest at 464,229 people, ranks #240 nationally at 3.2%. Behind Lincoln's headline 3.6%, 0.8% of its residents are in the severe 70 dB+ band and 41.1% in the moderate 45–60 dB range.
Each figure is a transparent aggregation of the 2020 federal noise map and Census population — no estimation, and no credit for sirens, industry or crowds. Open any Nebraska city below for its full census-tract map, then measure your own street with the free live meter.
Which Nebraska cities are the noisiest?
By this federal data the noisiest Nebraska cities are the same as the loudest, since "noisiest" here means measured road, rail and aviation exposure: Lincoln, Omaha top the list, led by Lincoln at 3.6%. The full ranking is in the table above.
Nebraska noise: the numbers
- 2 Nebraska cities of 100,000+ residents are in the ranking — 35th-most of any state.
- Loudest: Lincoln at 3.6% of residents above 60 dB (national #214 of 297).
- Highest severe exposure: Lincoln, 0.8% of residents above 70 dB.
- Median Nebraska city: 3.4% above 60 dB; 0 of 2 clear 10%.
- Combined population of the 2: 727,846 (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.