Miami is among the loudest large cities in America, according to new study published recently by Steel Guard Safety Products.
To determine the ranking, researchers analyzed key factors related to noise pollution in the most populated 100 cities across the country. Among the cities sampled, Miami landed at No. 7 noisiest, and three other Florida cities are among the top 50 loudest in the country.
"Miami has the highest level of traffic density of any city on our top 10 list, with 4,078 cars commuting per square mile, according to the Census Bureau," the Steel Guard Safety study concluded.
"While the city conjures images of a nonstop nightlife bonanza, this isn't the core noise contributor — despite its world-famous beaches, the city is lacking park space (only 7% of the total footprint), which means noise that does occur carries further."
Steel Guard Safety produces industrial noise control systems for use in factories and other heavy manufacturing environments. The study focuses on three broad categories including population density, ground and air traffic as well as environment to identify the "noisiest cities."
While Miami was ranked seventh in the nation among major cities for noise, no other Florida major city came close to the top 10. St. Petersburg was ranked 42nd among cities analyzed, with Orlando right behind that coming in at the No. 43 spot. Tampa finished out the list of Florida cities, sitting at No. 49 among the major cities surveyed.
Unsurprisingly, New York City was ranked No. 1 on the list. New York was followed by Chicago and Jersey City, New Jersey.
While Miami ranked in the top 10, the Sunshine State is relatively hushed compared to some other states. California had three major cities ranked in the top 10, with San Francisco at No. 6, Long Beach at No. 9 and Los Angeles at No. 10. California had 11 other locales listed among the top 50 loudest major cities.
New Jersey had two major cities listed in the top 10. Jersey City, as mentioned at No. 3, was followed by Newark at No. 4.
The Steel Guard analysis used data from the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Transit Administration to help identify noise pollution factors.
