Loudest state in America? New Jersey tops new national noise ranking
The rankings measures metrics linked to daily environmental noise, population density, daily commuter traffic, air traffic, public transit density, construction activity, nightlife, dog ownership, and online searches for noise complaints.
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New Jersey has been named the loudest state in the United States, according to a recent study evaluating everyday noise factors across 48 states.
The Garden State earned the top spot with an overall score of 75.27, outpacing second-place Massachusetts (57.03) and third-place Rhode Island (55.39) by a wide margin. Neighboring New York ranked eighth overall with a score of 26.03.
The rankings measured eight separate metrics linked to daily environmental noise, including population density, daily commuter traffic, air traffic, public transit density, construction activity, nightlife, dog ownership, and online searches for noise complaints.
New Jersey claimed the top overall rank largely due to its nation-leading density metrics. The state recorded the highest population density with 1,298 residents per square mile and the highest daily commuter traffic per square mile at 29,603 vehicle miles. New Jersey also led the 48 states analyzed in public transit vehicle density (0.60 per square mile).
The state scored high across several secondary factors as well, ranking second in nightlife density with 32.10 bars and clubs per 100 square miles—just behind Rhode Island's 32.36—and recording 303.72 noise complaint searches per 100,000 residents. Additionally, 47.4% of New Jersey households were listed as dog owners.
The study by the Manhattan Mental Health Counseling excluded Alaska and Hawaii, analyzing 48 states across weighted 0-to-100 scales for each category to determine the overall noise rankings.
