Steilacoom, WA Noise Levels
How loud is Steilacoom, WA?
At 47.5 dB(A), Steilacoom, WA 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 Steilacoom 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 Steilacoom'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 Steilacoom
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 Steilacoom compares nationally
Steilacoom ranks 2,500 of 3,622 measured places nationally, 1 being the loudest this dataset covers. By population, it ranks 4,168 of the 12,137 places in this dataset, home to about 6,649 people.
Checking one address in Steilacoom
Nothing here substitutes for checking one address in Steilacoom directly, and BTS's own map lets anyone do that at no cost.
Steilacoom'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.