Decibel Shield
US cities › Nevada
The loudest cities in Nevada, ranked by noise exposure
9 Nevada cities make the measured federal noise ranking. Paradise leads with 8.1% of residents above 60 dB of road, rail and aviation noise, while half the state's ranked cities fall at or below 3%.
Last updated:
| Nevada # | City | US # | ≥60 dB | ≥70 dB | 45–60 dB | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paradise | 35 | 8.1% | 1.4% | 59.9% | 195,562 |
| 2 | Reno | 94 | 5.6% | 1.5% | 38.8% | 236,730 |
| 3 | Sparks | 194 | 3.9% | 0.6% | 29.9% | 100,120 |
| 4 | Las Vegas | 212 | 3.7% | 1.3% | 27.7% | 623,021 |
| 5 | Henderson | 254 | 3% | 0.9% | 16.1% | 303,967 |
| 6 | Enterprise | 267 | 2.6% | 0.9% | 24.1% | 195,612 |
| 7 | North Las Vegas | 282 | 2% | 0.5% | 26.2% | 239,348 |
| 8 | Spring Valley | 292 | 1.7% | 0.4% | 25.2% | 221,333 |
| 9 | Sunrise Manor | 294 | 1.6% | 0.3% | 15.6% | 188,017 |
Nevada's 9 ranked cities are home to 2,303,710 residents. By share above 60 dB the field reads Paradise (8.1%), Reno (5.6%), Sparks (3.9%), Las Vegas (3.7%), Henderson (3%), Enterprise (2.6%), North Las Vegas (2%), Spring Valley (1.7%), then 1 more, ending at Sunrise Manor (1.6%). The median lands at 3%, and 0 of 9 sit above the 10% line. Reno carries the state's worst severe exposure — 1.5% of residents above 70 dB, the hearing-risk threshold — while Las Vegas, the largest at 623,021 people, ranks #212 nationally at 3.7%. Behind Paradise's headline 8.1%, 1.4% of its residents are in the severe 70 dB+ band and 59.9% 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 Nevada city below for its full census-tract map, then measure your own street with the free live meter.
Which Nevada cities are the noisiest?
By this federal data the noisiest Nevada cities are the same as the loudest, since "noisiest" here means measured road, rail and aviation exposure: Paradise, Reno, Sparks top the list, led by Paradise at 8.1%. The full ranking is in the table above.
Nevada noise: the numbers
- 9 Nevada cities of 100,000+ residents are in the ranking — 6th-most of any state.
- Loudest: Paradise at 8.1% of residents above 60 dB (national #35 of 297).
- Highest severe exposure: Reno, 1.5% of residents above 70 dB.
- Median Nevada city: 3% above 60 dB; 0 of 9 clear 10%.
- Combined population of the 9: 2,303,710 (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.