Plains, KS Noise Levels
Plains, KS: what the federal noise map shows
Plains, KS reads 47.5 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 Plains's one representative point, not a promise about every block in it, BTS's map wasn't built to resolve individual streets.
Plains'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 Plains ranks
Among the 3,622 US places in this dataset with any measurable transportation noise, Plains ranks 3,359, loudest first. About 1,006 people live there, making it the 10,224th largest place in this dataset.
Your street may differ from Plains's reading
For a single house or lot in Plains rather than the town-wide figure above, BTS's own map is the same free source, queried directly.
More on how this number was built
For exactly which federal dataset feeds Plains's figure, see the methodology guide. Since rail traffic is what's driving this reading, the guide to what actually cuts each kind of noise covers the fix that fits.