All things are relative. I live 5 miles from Thruxton and the only aircraft noise I ever hear are the ones that decide to route at low level directly over my house.
However on racedays, it sounds like there's a swarm of bees at the bottom of my garden. Not only are the aircraft quieter, they're intermittent not continuous.
I know an airfield tucked in the crook between the M1 and M25 that still gets noise compliants. No pleasing some people is there.
I'm with Betty, most noise complainers have lived there since long after the airfield was built. I'm sure there are people with genuine cause for complaint - i.e. the aircraft moved in or drastically altered their patterns, but very few.
G