From busy roads to booming venues, Houston has plenty going on-and apparently, plenty of noise, too.
ReSound-a global manufacturer of hearing aids and audio solutions-recently analyzed 50 of the nation’s largest cities for noise. Houston ranked No. 1 in the South and No. 4 nationwide.
The study accounted for eight everyday noise factors: traffic congestion, aircraft noise, environmental noise, nightlife, live music venues, major sports stadiums and the proportion of residents exposed to transportation noise.
“From packed stadiums and bumper-to-bumper traffic to buzzing nightlife and planes overhead, the South’s noisiest major cities have been revealed,” ReSound wrote in the news release.
Fans react after the Houston Texans score a touchdown late in the fourth quarter during the NFL 2025 game between Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on November 09, 2025 in Houston, Texas. Houston recently ranked as the South’s noisiest city, partly due to its packed sporting calendar. (Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
RELATED: These Houston zip codes are driving the city’s noise complaints
How Houston and other Texas cities scored
Houston was named the noisiest major city of the South, with an overall noise score of 37.45 out of 80.
“In Houston, the city’s packed sporting calendar contributed to its ranking, with the city scoring 7.50/10 for major sports stadiums and 6.26/10 for noise and light pollution,” ReSound wrote.
Atlanta followed closely behind, claiming spot No. 2 with a score of 32.28 out of 80. Miami ranked No. 3 with a score of 31.66 out of 80.
Mascot Toro of the Houston Texans gets the crowd cheering during a game against the Oakland Raiders at NRG Stadium on October 27, 2019 in Houston, Texas. Houston recently ranked as the South’s noisiest city, partly due to its packed sporting calendar. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
But Texas dominated the list, with four cities in the South’s top 10. Dallas ranked fifth with a score of 29.62 out of 80, followed closely by Austin at No. 6, with a score of 29.25 out of 80. San Antonio rounded out the top ten with a score of 25.33 out of 80.
In addition to Houston’s reign in the South, the city also landed in the top 5 nationally, claiming spot No. 4, only behind New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago.
“While traffic, stadium crowds, nightlife, and live music are all part of what makes these cities vibrant places to live, repeated exposure to loud environments over time can also put additional strain on hearing,” ReSound wrote.
Houston’s top 10 ‘noisiest’ ZIP codes
Earlier this year, a Chron analysis of data from the Houston Police Department (HPD) revealed the city’s ‘noisiest’ ZIP codes.
HPD logged 11,678 noise-related calls for service citywide between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2026. Of those calls, about 19 percent (2,194 complaints) were deemed to be valid, while just 36 resulted in a ticket and 107 resulted in an official report.
According to the data, these were the top 10 Houston neighborhoods with the highest number of complaints in the first half of the year:
Greater Third Ward, Midtown, Museum District, UH and TSU.
513 complaints, 114 valid, 6 tickets issued, 11 reports made.
77006: Montrose, Neartown and parts of Midtown.
342 complaints, 32 valid, 1 ticket issued, 4 reports made.
77036: Sharpstown, Gulfton and Chinatown/Asiatown.
338 complaints, 44 valid, 0 tickets issued, 2 reports made.
77002: Downtown Houston and the Theater District.
309 complaints, 75 valid, 5 tickets issued, 6 reports made.
77007: Washington Avenue, Rice Military, Buffalo Heights and parts of Houston Heights.
292 complaints, 31 valid, 4 tickets issued, 5 reports made.
77009: Near Northside, Northside Village and Woodland Heights.
278 complaints, 21 valid, 1 ticket issued, 4 reports made.
77080: Spring Branch.
251 complaints, 48 valid, 0 tickets issued, 5 reports made.
77057: Galleria, Uptown and Briargrove.
250 complaints, 31 valid, 0 tickets issued, 3 reports made.
77082: Westchase, Alief and West Oaks.
238 complaints, 49 valid, 0 tickets issued, 1 report made.
77091: Acres Homes, Independence Heights and northwest Houston.
237 complaints, 38 valid, 0 tickets issued, 2 reports made.
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This article originally published at Houston ranked loudest major city in the South in new study.