Erie, PA Noise Levels
How loud is Erie, PA?
At 47.5 dB(A), Erie, PA falls 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. The main source is rail traffic, well ahead of the other two modes BTS tracks.
That's the reading at Erie's Census-defined center point, not any one street, BTS's map is a live raster, not a per-address service.
Where Erie's noise comes from
BTS models these three sources separately before combining them, so a place can be quiet on two and loud on the third.
If you're weighing a move to Erie
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.
How Erie compares nationally
Erie ranks 1,844 of 3,622 measured places nationally, 1 being the loudest this dataset covers. By population, it ranks 377 of the 12,137 places in this dataset, home to about 92,940 people.
Checking one address in Erie
Nothing here substitutes for checking one address in Erie directly, and BTS's own map lets anyone do that at no cost.
Erie's number isn't a one-off calculation, it comes from the same method covered in the methodology guide. The guide to what actually cuts each kind of noise explains why rail traffic calls for a different fix than the other two sources.