The loudest cities in New York, ranked by noise exposure

New York's 5 ranked cities house 9,152,031 residents. Loudest first, by share of residents above 60 dB: New York (7.4%), Yonkers (6.9%), Rochester (3.6%), Syracuse (3.3%), Buffalo (2.8%) — down to Buffalo at 2.8%. The median city exposes 3.6%, and 0 of 5 clear the 10% mark. The hardest-hit on the severe 70 dB+ band is Yonkers (2.5% of residents); the most populous, New York at 8,347,434 residents, lands #47 in the national table with 7.4% above 60 dB. Behind New York's headline 7.4%, 1.7% of its residents are in the severe 70 dB+ band and 65.4% 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 New York city below for its full census-tract map, then measure your own street with the free live meter.

Which New York cities are the noisiest?

By this federal data the noisiest New York cities are the same as the loudest, since "noisiest" here means measured road, rail and aviation exposure: New York, Yonkers, Rochester top the list, led by New York at 7.4%. The full ranking is in the table above.

New York noise: the numbers

• 5 New York cities of 100,000+ residents are in the ranking — 19th-most of any state.
• Loudest: New York at 7.4% of residents above 60 dB (national #47 of 297).
• Highest severe exposure: Yonkers, 2.5% of residents above 70 dB.
• Median New York city: 3.6% above 60 dB; 0 of 5 clear 10%.
• Combined population of the 5: 9,152,031 (ACS 2016–2020).