There are many factors that may contribute to the development of hearing loss. Who knew that where you live might be one of them?

City noise

Some of the first adjectives many people reach for when describing cities are “loud” or “noisy,” and not without good reason. Between frequent construction, noisy public transportation, dense traffic, and a higher concentration of people making all the noises people make, there is a steady din to most major cities.

According to research shared by the National Park Service, background noise levels in cities average around 50 to 60 decibels (dB) — roughly equivalent to moderate rainfall or a normal conversation — but can frequently spike up to around 85 dB near heavy truck traffic, or even around 95 dB near construction sites.

Rural noise

However, rural areas have their fair share of loud noises, too. Rural areas tend to have more jobs involving heavy equipment use than urban areas — like farming, mining, and manufacturing. Similarly, popular means of recreation in the countryside may involve loud noises, such as hunting or riding ATVs.

There are many pieces of equipment you might run into and work with while out in the country that you’d be unlikely to come across inside city limits. Chainsaws (77-120 dB), combines (80-105 dB), grain dryers (80-102 dB), and crop-dusting aircraft (83-116 dB) can all produce noise levels dangerous to human hearing. Even pig squeals (85-115 dB) can reach nearly the volume of a jet engine (125 dB).

Where does most hearing loss occur?

So, where are we seeing more hearing loss? According to a recent study, hearing loss is more common in rural areas than urban ones.

The study looked at county-by-county data and found:

• the most urban counties — metro areas with over 1 million residents — had the lowest rate of hearing loss at 9.7%
• the most rural counties — with fewer than 2,500 residents and not adjacent to a metro area — had the highest rate of hearing loss at 19.8%.

The authors of the study didn’t offer conclusions about the cause of this marked difference in hearing loss rates, though they did offer some speculation. Potential factors include some of the noise sources we’ve already discussed, like hunting or using motorized recreational vehicles, and prolonged exposure to farm and forestry equipment.

Less access to healthcare and poorer overall health in rural areas may also be a factor. Multiple studies have shown that healthcare is harder to access in rural areas. It stands to reason that this larger trend is at least partially responsible for the disparity in hearing health as well.