Noise pollution may be harming your health. See which US cities have the most.
It may be no surprise that New York City is America's noisiest city. But one possible solution to decrease noise pollution may come as a surprise: introducing more park space in urban environments.
Noise pollution is defined as any unwanted or disturbing sound that affects the health and well-being of humans and other organisms, according to National Geographic. It's an invisible danger that can cause long-term health problems for both humans and wildlife, on land and in the sea.
Noise pollution comes from traffic, loud concerts, construction and more. Any loud or inescapable sounds can cause hearing loss, stress, and high blood pressure, the magazine said.
A recent report from Steel Guard Safety, a manufacturer of noise control products, identified the top cities with the worst noise pollution problems. The report looks at the following factors that contribute to noisy cities: Population density, traffic density, public transportation, construction projects, and the number of flights per day, among other factors.
These cities have the most noise pollution
Six of the top 10 noisiest cities were located on the East coast, with New York, Jersey City, Newark and Boston all ranking in the top five.
Do you live in one of the noisiest cities in America?
How does the noise pollution rank in your town? The level of noise a city produces is determined by traffic, commute times, flights per day, public transit, population, construction and more.
How was the data collected?
Steel Guard Safety Products analyzed noise pollution data in 100 of the most populated cities in the U.S.
The report looked at the following noise contributors: Population density, traffic density, public transportation, construction projects, number of flights per day, air pollution, number of bars and nightlife venues per square mile, and number of public parks.
The total score for each city is calculated by summing the weighted scores for each of these metric.