Before you buy, check how often planes actually fly over the address (our free flight path checker shows it from months of real flights), visit at different times and on different wind days, look at the airport’s noise map, and ask about disclosures and avigation easements. Research shows louder homes do sell for less, so noise is worth weighing in your offer, and there are good ways to make a home quieter.
🏠 Check any address with the flight path checker → See how much of the day planes pass over a home, how low they are, and which days are busiest.
Does airplane noise affect home value?
Yes, on average. A 2026 study by researchers at MIT looked at about 86,000 home sales around the Boston, Chicago and Seattle airports. It found that each 1-decibel increase in aircraft noise lowered nearby home values by about 0.6% to 1%. Near Boston Logan, where homes averaged about $450,000, a 5-decibel increase meant a loss of roughly $13,000.
Two other findings matter for buyers:
- The average noise level mattered more than the number of loud flights. A home under a steady stream of moderate noise can be affected more than one that hears an occasional loud jet.
- Flight paths can change after you buy. When satellite-based procedures concentrated traffic onto narrower paths, a few Boston neighborhoods got 8 to 10 decibels louder while others got quieter. Around Chicago O’Hare, some areas got up to 10 decibels quieter and others up to 6 decibels louder.
None of this means you shouldn’t buy. Plenty of people love living near an airport, and the noise is often already reflected in the price. Just go in knowing what you’re buying, and remember that the next buyer will notice the planes too.
This page is general information, not financial, legal or real estate advice. Talk to your agent, an attorney or an appraiser about a specific home.
What to check before you buy
1. See how often planes fly over the address
A single showing tells you very little, because flight paths move with the wind. Our flight path checker uses months of recorded flights to show how much of the day planes pass over a spot, how low they are, and which days are busiest. You can also look up the flight paths for your town.
2. Visit at different times, and on a different wind day
Go back early in the morning, in the evening, and on a weekend. Airlines bunch flights into busy “banks,” and airports switch runways when the wind changes, which can move the planes right over a street that was quiet the day you toured. See which runway an airport is using today →
3. Watch the planes live
Standing in the yard? Open the live map of planes overhead to see what’s flying over right now, how high it is, and where it’s going.
4. Look up the airport’s noise map
Many airports have studied their noise under the FAA’s Part 150 program and published a map of noise “contours.” Homes inside the 65-decibel contour are the ones the FAA considers for sound insulation. Search the airport’s name plus “noise exposure map,” or ask its noise office.
5. Call the airport’s noise office
They can tell you how many complaints come from the area and whether runway projects, new routes or airport expansion are planned. Find your airport’s noise office →
6. Read the disclosures and the title
Disclosure rules vary by state. California, for example, requires a “Notice of Airport in Vicinity” for homes inside an airport influence area. Also ask the title company whether the property has an avigation easement (see below), which stays with the home when it’s sold.
7. Don’t forget helicopters and small airports
Hospital helipads, police and news helicopters, and small airports with flight schools can be louder at street level than airliners high overhead. Training planes often circle the same small airport for hours on nice weekends. See helicopters near you live →
Making sense of the noise numbers
Airport noise maps usually use DNL (day-night average sound level): a 24-hour average that counts each nighttime flight (10 p.m. to 7 a.m.) as if it were 10 decibels louder. The FAA uses 65 DNL as its main line for homes. Inside it, homes may qualify for sound insulation.
An average can hide a lot, though. In a nationwide survey of people living near 20 airports, the FAA found that a much larger share of people are highly annoyed by aircraft noise than its older estimates assumed, including at lower levels, below 65 DNL. So “outside the noise contour” doesn’t mean “quiet.” Trust your own ears on several visits.
What is an avigation easement?
An avigation easement is a limited permission a property owner gives an airport, allowing aircraft to fly over or near the property (and make the noise that comes with it). It’s usually recorded on the property’s title and stays in place when the home is sold. Airports often require one in exchange for free sound insulation. It doesn’t make a home a bad buy, but you should know it’s there.
How to make a home under a flight path quieter
Ask about sound insulation programs
Airports with an FAA Part 150 program often insulate homes inside the 65 DNL contour for free or at low cost, with new windows, doors and ventilation. Check whether the home already got it (a big plus) or still qualifies.
Windows and gaps first
Most noise comes in through windows and gaps. Laminated or double-pane windows, acoustic window inserts, and weatherstripping make the biggest difference for the money.
Attic insulation and closed windows
Extra attic insulation helps against noise from directly overhead, and central air lets you keep windows closed on warm nights.
Plan the bedrooms
Choose the bedroom on the side away from the flight path if you can, and use a white-noise machine for early-morning departures. More tips that help at home →
For real estate agents
Buyers ask about planes. The flight path checker is free with no sign-up, works on a phone during a showing, and shows real recorded flights rather than guesses. It’s an easy, honest answer to “how bad are the planes?” Feel free to share it with clients or link to it from a listing.
Behind every flight path, a controller
Air traffic controllers follow noise-abatement procedures every day, like preferred runways at night and departure turns away from neighborhoods, whenever the wind and traffic allow. If planes are part of your new neighborhood, the people keeping them safely apart might appreciate a note. Thank the controllers →
Sources
- Knittel, Allroggen, Hansman, Li, Wan and Wang, “Planes Overhead: How Airplane Noise Impacts Home Values,” NBER working paper (2026), and MIT Sloan summary
- FAA, How do I get my house sound insulated? (Part 150 and the 65 DNL contour)
- FAA, Neighborhood Environmental Survey (aircraft noise annoyance near 20 airports)
- California Civil Code §1103.4 (Notice of Airport in Vicinity)
- King County International Airport, Avigation easement FAQ
Common questions
Does living under a flight path lower home value?
On average, yes. A 2026 MIT study of about 86,000 home sales near the Boston, Chicago and Seattle airports found that each 1-decibel increase in aircraft noise lowered nearby home values by about 0.6% to 1%. The effect depends on how loud and how frequent the noise is, and it is often already reflected in the asking price.
How can I tell if a house is under a flight path?
Use a flight path checker that is based on recorded flights, like the free one on Thank ATC, which shows how much of the day planes pass over a spot and how low they are. Then visit at different times and on days with a different wind, because airports change runways with the wind and the paths move with them.
Do sellers have to disclose airport noise?
It depends on the state. California requires a “Notice of Airport in Vicinity” for homes inside an airport influence area, and some counties and cities have their own rules. Ask your agent what applies where you are buying, and check the title for an avigation easement.
What is an avigation easement?
A limited permission a property owner gives an airport, allowing aircraft to fly over or near the property. It is usually recorded on the title and stays with the home when it is sold. Airports often ask for one in exchange for free sound insulation.
Can flight paths change after I buy a house?
Yes. Paths shift every day with the wind, and airports and the FAA sometimes change routes for good. When satellite-based routes were introduced around Boston, a few neighborhoods got 8 to 10 decibels louder while others got quieter. Ask the airport’s noise office about planned changes before you buy.
Can I get my home soundproofed for free?
Possibly. Airports that have done an FAA Part 150 noise study often run sound-insulation programs for homes inside the 65 DNL noise contour. Contact the airport to find out whether a home qualifies or has already been insulated.