Decibel Shield
US cities › Virginia
The loudest cities in Virginia, ranked by noise exposure
8 Virginia cities make the measured federal noise ranking. Alexandria leads with 6.3% of residents above 60 dB of road, rail and aviation noise, while half the state's ranked cities fall at or below 4.6%.
Last updated:
| Virginia # | City | US # | ≥60 dB | ≥70 dB | 45–60 dB | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexandria | 66 | 6.3% | 1.4% | 60.6% | 158,309 |
| 2 | Arlington | 75 | 6.1% | 1.5% | 46.2% | 236,434 |
| 3 | Newport News | 124 | 4.9% | 1.1% | 30.6% | 179,582 |
| 4 | Richmond | 144 | 4.6% | 1.4% | 45.4% | 229,233 |
| 5 | Norfolk | 158 | 4.5% | 0.9% | 45% | 244,300 |
| 6 | Chesapeake | 246 | 3.1% | 0.9% | 22.4% | 242,647 |
| 7 | Hampton | 283 | 2% | 0.6% | 9.3% | 135,169 |
| 8 | Virginia Beach | 293 | 1.6% | 0.4% | 10% | 450,882 |
Virginia's 8 ranked cities are home to 1,876,556 residents. By share above 60 dB the field reads Alexandria (6.3%), Arlington (6.1%), Newport News (4.9%), Richmond (4.6%), Norfolk (4.5%), Chesapeake (3.1%), Hampton (2%), Virginia Beach (1.6%), ending at Virginia Beach (1.6%). The median lands at 4.6%, and 0 of 8 sit above the 10% line. Arlington carries the state's worst severe exposure — 1.5% of residents above 70 dB, the hearing-risk threshold — while Virginia Beach, the largest at 450,882 people, ranks #293 nationally at 1.6%. Behind Alexandria's headline 6.3%, 1.4% of its residents are in the severe 70 dB+ band and 60.6% in the moderate 45–60 dB range.
The numbers come straight from the 2020 federal noise model and Census counts at census-tract level — transportation sources only, so construction and nightlife are invisible here. Open any Virginia city below for its full census-tract map, then measure your own street with the free live meter.
Which Virginia cities are the noisiest?
By this federal data the noisiest Virginia cities are the same as the loudest, since "noisiest" here means measured road, rail and aviation exposure: Alexandria, Arlington, Newport News top the list, led by Alexandria at 6.3%. The full ranking is in the table above.
Virginia noise: the numbers
- 8 Virginia cities of 100,000+ residents are in the ranking — 9th-most of any state.
- Loudest: Alexandria at 6.3% of residents above 60 dB (national #66 of 297).
- Highest severe exposure: Arlington, 1.5% of residents above 70 dB.
- Median Virginia city: 4.6% above 60 dB; 0 of 8 clear 10%.
- Combined population of the 8: 1,876,556 (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.