North Wales, PA Noise Levels
Is North Wales, PA noisy?
North Wales, 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. That's the reading at North Wales's Census-defined center point, not any one street, BTS's map is a live raster, not a per-address service.
North Wales'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 North Wales ranks
Among the 3,622 US places in this dataset with any measurable transportation noise, North Wales ranks 1,292, loudest first. About 3,450 people live there, making it the 5,911th largest place in this dataset.
Your street may differ from North Wales's reading
This page describes North Wales as a whole. If one specific address is what matters, BTS publishes the same underlying map for free.
Behind North Wales's reading
The methodology guide shows exactly how North Wales'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.