Long-term kit
RL116 long-term radon test kit
- Lab fee extra
Method: Alpha track
In home: 90 days to 12 months
Locations and reports
Radon Levels in Chaffee County, Colorado
EPA puts Chaffee County in Zone 1, its highest radon zone, and high results are common there: 55.2% of the 165 radon tests reported to CDC (2023) came back at or above 4 pCi/L. Homes with elevated levels occur in all three zones, so only a test measures yours.
Data checked By Radon411Methodology
Share at 4+ pCi/L
55.2%
16.3 pts above CO
- Chaffee
- 55.2%
- Colorado
- 38.9%
165 tests, 2023
Median result
4.5pCi/L
Action level reached
- Chaffee
- 4.5 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2023
Tests reported
165
19th of 38 by tests
- Chaffee
- 165
- Jefferson
- 3,068
Reported to CDC before any fix, 2023
EPA radon zone
Zone 1
Highest potential
- Zone 1
- 2
- 3
1 highest, 3 lowest
EPA predicts over 4 pCi/L indoors
Rank in Colorado
5 of 38
Top quarter
- Chaffee
- 55.2%
- Park
- 57.5%
By share, of 38 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Chaffee County
Starts at Chaffee County's median, 4.5 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 4.5 pCi/L
At or above 4 pCi/L
- Under 20 to 1.9 pCi/L
- 2 to 4consider a fix
- 4 and aboveEPA says fix it
This result is at or above 4 pCi/L. EPA recommends fixing a home when the radon level is 4 pCi/L or higher. Chaffee County's median reported result, 2023.
The data
Chaffee County, At a glance
Chaffee County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 1: highest predicted potential
EPA puts all of Chaffee County in
USGS geologic potential: High across 100% of the county's area
Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Measured: tests reported to CDC
Radon tests reported for Chaffee County, 2023
| Year | Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 56.8% |
| 2015 | 61.9% |
| 2016 | 38.3% |
| 2017 | 50.0% |
| 2018 | 64.9% |
| 2019 | 64.1% |
| 2020 | 54.2% |
| 2021 | 52.7% |
| 2022 | 45.8% |
| 2023 | 55.2% |
2023: 55.2%. Across these years the share ran from 38.3% to 64.9%. Each column counts radon tests reported to CDC that year, not homes.
What these figures count
These are the 165 tests reported to CDC for Chaffee County over 2023, many from homes being sold or already suspected of a problem: they describe the county's reported tests, not this house.
Measured: CDC tracking data. Figure above: 2023. Measured data period: 2005 to 2023 (every CDC figure on file).
Chaffee County, Compared
Chaffee County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411More than half: 55.2% of the 165 radon tests reported to CDC for Chaffee County in 2023 read at least 4 pCi/L. That places it 5th of 38 Colorado counties with 30 or more tests for the same period. That is 16.3 points above the 38.9% pooled from 61 Colorado counties.
The median result, 4.5 pCi/L, sits above EPA's 4 pCi/L action level, and the top reported result was 34.9 pCi/L. The rest split 29.1% under 2 pCi/L and 15.8% from 2 to 4 (Colorado: 39.2% and 22.0%). Zone 1 on EPA's map (predicted average above 4 pCi/L) and a 55.2% share point the same way here.
1 of its 5 bordering counties with figures ran higher, led by Park County at 57.5%; Gunnison County reported 34.7%. Statewide for the same period, Park County reported the highest share (57.5%) and Bent County the lowest (3.7%).
The busiest year on file was 2022, with 275 tests reported; the quietest, 2014, had 44.
Over 10 years of annual figures the share held within 2 points, from 56.8% in 2014 to 55.2% in 2023; its peak was 64.9% in 2018. Nationally, every county with a figure for the same period pools to 33.4%; Chaffee County sits 21.8 points above it. CDC also counts 22 tests taken after mitigation in Chaffee County for the same period: tests in homes where a fix was already in.
Chaffee CountyColorado, pooled
55.2% % of tests38.9% % of tests
| Year | Tests | Chaffee County, at or above 4 pCi/L | Colorado, pooled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 44 | 56.8% | 46.5% |
| 2015 | 84 | 61.9% | 47.2% |
| 2016 | 60 | 38.3% | 38.5% |
| 2017 | 96 | 50.0% | 41.0% |
| 2018 | 151 | 64.9% | 44.2% |
| 2019 | 248 | 64.1% | 44.1% |
| 2020 | 153 | 54.2% | 41.9% |
| 2021 | 112 | 52.7% | 47.3% |
| 2022 | 275 | 45.8% | 38.6% |
| 2023 | 165 | 55.2% | 38.9% |
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Chaffee County, State data
Colorado's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat Colorado's own agencies publish about radon tests in Chaffee County, with their period. These are not CDC's figures and are never added to them.
MeasuredState figures, not CDC's
What Colorado CDPHE reports for Chaffee County
Radon data (county results): radon test results received from radon testing labs, primarily short-term household tests taken by the homeowner. Period: 2005-2025.
Share over 4 pCi/L
57.1%
927 of 1,624 tests
Median result
4.8 pCi/L
Highest result
250.0 pCi/L
Tests behind these figures
1,624 tests
- CDPHE says these data do not give actual radon levels in homes that have not been tested.
- When possible, only tests conducted before a mitigation system was installed are used.
- Some counties have very small numbers of test results, and their summaries may be less representative.
- These figures describe tests reported to Colorado CDPHE in this area. They count a different set of tests than CDC's figures and are not a reading of any one home.
Measured: Colorado CDPHE data, 2005-2025.
Chaffee County, Geology
The ground under Chaffee County
PredictedUSGS's geologic map puts all of Chaffee County's mapped land in one class: high radon potential. All of it lies in the area the map calls Rocky Mountains, to which USGS gives a radon index of 15, in the high band (12 to 17).
| Area | The rock, in USGS's words | Potential | Radon index | Share of land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Mountains | Precambrian granites, gneiss, amphibolite, variable uranium content, abundant shear zones.Sedimentary rocks shed from the granitic highlands. | High | 15 | 100% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
Chaffee County beside the ground around it
Chaffee County has more high-potential ground than Colorado as a whole: 100% of its land against 74.8%. Of the 6 counties that border it, none has as large a share of high-potential ground; Fremont County comes nearest at 100%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
Chaffee County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Chaffee County
- Colorado's radon programColorado Department of Public Health and EnvironmentColorado's radon program licenses or certifies radon professionals, offers free or discounted test kits and states the rule for disclosing radon when a home is sold, and answers questions about testing and mitigation in Colorado.Visit the program’s page(opens in a new tab)
- Free and low-cost kitsThe program says:
Order a discounted radon test kit
- Compare kits
- Professionals in Colorado25 professionals are listed in Colorado.
What Colorado's program says
- Licensing of radon professionals
Listed contractors are certified by the National Radon Proficiency Program or the National Radon Safety Board, and must be licensed by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies.
- Disclosure when a home is sold or rented
As of August 7, 2023, landlords in Colorado are required to disclose radon information when a tenant signs a lease agreement.
What it means
Chaffee County, Questions
Questions about radon in Chaffee County
Are radon levels high in Chaffee County?
In 2023, 55.2% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Chaffee County, Colorado were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 4.5 pCi/L. Of 38 Colorado counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 4 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 38.9%.
Which counties border Chaffee County?
Chaffee County borders 6 counties: Park County, Lake County, Gunnison County, Fremont County, Saguache County and Pitkin County.
Products
Chaffee County, Products
Testing a home in Chaffee County
In Chaffee County, 55.2% of 165 tests reported to CDC in 2023 reached 4 pCi/L, against 38.9% pooled across Colorado. In Zone 1 the year-round level in Chaffee County is the one to know: a long-term test (more than 90 days) or a monitor, with a short-term kit for a first answer.
Test kits and monitors3
See every kit and monitor
MonitorINKBIRD
INK-RD3 battery radon monitor with an e-ink screen
- C-NRPP 2024/25: Not included
- Battery
- Screen
First reading: Within 24 hours
Short-term kit
RA400 short-term liquid scintillation radon test kit, lab fee included
- Lab fee included
Method: Liquid scintillation
In home: 48 to 96 hours
- See every kit and monitor Test kits and monitors
Test kits and monitors: 1 of 3
Chaffee County is in EPA Zone 1, the highest predicted radon potential. Best radon monitors for Zone 1 counties like Chaffee County
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Chaffee County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Chaffee County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Park CountyEPA zone 1
57.5%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 4.6 pCi/L · 106 tests · 2.3 points above Chaffee County
- Radon levels in Lake CountyEPA zone 1
54.3%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 4.7 pCi/L · 35 tests · 0.9 points below Chaffee County
- Radon levels in Fremont CountyEPA zone 1
50.0%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 4.0 pCi/L · 66 tests · 5.2 points below Chaffee County
- Radon levels in Saguache CountyEPA zone 2
41.7%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.1 pCi/L · 12 tests · 13.5 points below Chaffee County
- Radon levels in Pitkin CountyEPA zone 1
36.6%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.5 pCi/L · 164 tests · 18.6 points below Chaffee County
- Radon levels in Gunnison CountyEPA zone 1
34.7%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.5 pCi/L · 147 tests · 20.5 points below Chaffee County
Chaffee County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Chaffee County
Chaffee County is growing: the Census Bureau puts it at 20,831 residents on July 1, 2025, up 6.9% from 19,486 in 2020. That works out to 21 people per square mile of land. Its largest town, Salida, has 5,985 residents, 28.7% of the total. Together its 3 incorporated places hold 51.0% of those residents; the other 49.0% live outside any of them. Testing is reported here more often than across the state: CDC's 165 reported tests for 2023 come to 7.9 for every 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), against 3.6 for Colorado.
From Salida to Poncha Springs, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Chaffee County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salida | 5,985 | +4.7% | 28.7% |
| Buena Vista | 3,248 | +13.4% | 15.6% |
| Poncha Springs | 1,393 | +46.9% | 6.7% |
3 incorporated places, as listed in the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 place reference files. Residents: U.S. Census Bureau population estimates for July 1, 2025 (Vintage 2025).
Chaffee County, Homes
Homes in Chaffee County
Chaffee County is a place of houses on their own lots: 80% of its 11,315 homes are detached single-family houses, against 62% across Colorado. Half of its homes were built before 1992, close to Colorado's 1987: 20% date from before 1960 and 37% from 2000 or later. 73% of occupied homes are lived in by their owner (Colorado: 66%); in the rest a tenant can run a test, but a fix is the landlord's to make.
| Homes | Chaffee County | Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 11,315 | 2,545,124 |
| Detached houses | 80% | 62% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 3% | 22% |
| Mobile homes | 7% | 4% |
| Built before 1960 | 20% | 16% |
| Built since 2000 | 37% | 31% |
| Middle year built | 1992 | 1987 |
| Owner-occupied | 73% | 66% |
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.