Chester, PA Noise Levels
Is Chester, PA noisy?
Chester, PA reads 52.5 dB(A) on BTS's 24-hour average, inside HUD's "Acceptable" noise zone, 65 dB(A) day-night average or below under 24 CFR 51.104, the federal government's own line for building housing with no extra sound attenuation required. Rail traffic drives that number here, not the other two sources. Treat this as Chester's one representative point, not a promise about every block in it, BTS's map wasn't built to resolve individual streets.
Chester's noise, by source
Each of the three transportation modes gets its own model from BTS; the combined figure above is what they add up to.
What this means for a house here
The same window and door upgrades that work on road noise also cut broadband rail noise, though very low-frequency freight rumble travels through walls, not just glass.
Where Chester ranks
Among the 3,622 US places in this dataset with any measurable transportation noise, Chester ranks 894, loudest first. About 34,052 people live there, making it the 1,210th largest place in this dataset.
Your street may differ from Chester's reading
This page describes Chester as a whole. If one specific address is what matters, BTS publishes the same underlying map for free.
Behind Chester's reading
The methodology guide shows exactly how Chester's reading was built from BTS's tile data. Since rail traffic is what's driving this reading, the guide to what actually cuts each kind of noise covers the fix that fits.