Philadelphia, PA Noise Levels
Noise levels in Philadelphia, PA
At 47.5 dB(A), Philadelphia, 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. This describes Philadelphia as a whole, not a specific block, the underlying BTS map resolves to about 38 meters per pixel, sampled at the town's own center point.
Where Philadelphia'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 Philadelphia
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 Philadelphia compares nationally
Philadelphia ranks 1,773 of 3,622 measured places nationally, 1 being the loudest this dataset covers. By population, it ranks 7 of the 12,137 places in this dataset, home to about 1,573,916 people.
Checking one address in Philadelphia
Philadelphia's figure above is a town-wide reading. For one exact address, BTS's own map is the free, authoritative source.
Where Philadelphia's figures come from
Every dB(A) figure on this page traces to a named BTS dataset, documented 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.