Somerville, MA Noise Levels
How loud is Somerville, MA?
At 57.5 dB(A), Somerville, MA 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. Treat this as Somerville's one representative point, not a promise about every block in it, BTS's map wasn't built to resolve individual streets.
Where Somerville'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 Somerville
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 Somerville compares nationally
Somerville ranks 352 of 3,622 measured places nationally, 1 being the loudest this dataset covers. By population, it ranks 454 of the 12,137 places in this dataset, home to about 82,149 people.
Checking one address in Somerville
Nothing here substitutes for checking one address in Somerville directly, and BTS's own map lets anyone do that at no cost.
Somerville'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.