Long-term kit
RL416 long-term radon test kit, lab fee included
- Lab fee included
Method: Alpha track
In home: 90 days to 12 months
Locations and reports
Radon Levels in La Plata County, Colorado
EPA puts La Plata County in Zone 1, its highest radon zone, and 39.3% of its 224 reported radon tests (2023) were 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
39.3%
0.4 pts above CO
- La Plata
- 39.3%
- Colorado
- 38.9%
224 tests, 2023
Median result
3.1pCi/L
Below action level
- La Plata
- 3.1 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2023
Tests reported
224
16th of 38 by tests
- La Plata
- 224
- 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
20 of 38
Middle half
- La Plata
- 39.3%
- Park
- 57.5%
By share, of 38 with 30+ tests
Read a result for La Plata County
Starts at La Plata County's median, 3.1 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 3.1 pCi/L
Between 2 and 4 pCi/L
- Under 20 to 1.9 pCi/L
- 2 to 4consider a fix
- 4 and aboveEPA says fix it
This result is between 2 and 4 pCi/L. EPA recommends considering a fix when the level is between 2 and 4 pCi/L. La Plata County's median reported result, 2023.
The data
La Plata County, At a glance
La Plata County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 1: highest predicted potential
EPA puts all of La Plata County in
USGS geologic potential: Moderate across 100% of the county's area
Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Measured: tests reported to CDC
Radon tests reported for La Plata County, 2023
| Year | Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 43.7% |
| 2015 | 44.9% |
| 2016 | 41.5% |
| 2017 | 37.7% |
| 2018 | 44.9% |
| 2019 | 40.7% |
| 2020 | 42.9% |
| 2021 | 43.9% |
| 2022 | 26.4% |
| 2023 | 39.3% |
2023: 39.3%. Across these years the share ran from 26.4% to 44.9%. Each column counts radon tests reported to CDC that year, not homes.
What these figures count
These are the 224 tests reported to CDC for La Plata 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).
La Plata County, Compared
La Plata County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411In La Plata County, about 4 in 10 reported tests in 2023 (88 of 224) were at or above EPA's action level. Against the national pool of 33.4%, the gap is 5.9 points higher. Across 61 Colorado counties pooled together, 38.9% of tests reached that level, so La Plata County runs 0.4 points above its state.
Of 2 neighbours with a figure, 1 reported a larger share at or above 4 pCi/L and 1 a smaller one; the spread is 33.3% (Montezuma County) to 40.2% (Archuleta County). By share, La Plata County is 20th of 38 Colorado counties with 30 or more tests for the same period.
Year by year, 2014 opened at 43.7% and 2023 closed at 39.3% (down 4.4 points), with 2015 the high at 44.9%. Half the tests came in under 3.1 pCi/L and half over it; the single highest reached 40.3 pCi/L. Below the action level, 82 tests (36.6%) came in under 2 pCi/L, against 39.2% statewide, and 54 tests (24.1%) fell between 2 and 4, against 22.0% statewide.
Zone 1 on EPA's map (predicted average above 4 pCi/L) and a 39.3% share point the same way here. USGS geology rates 100% of the county's land moderate radon potential. CDC also counts 32 tests taken after mitigation in La Plata County for the same period: tests in homes where a fix was already in.
The busiest year on file was 2022, with 1,132 tests reported; the quietest, 2015, had 178.
La Plata CountyColorado, pooled
| Year | Tests | La Plata County, at or above 4 pCi/L | Colorado, pooled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 206 | 43.7% | 46.5% |
| 2015 | 178 | 44.9% | 47.2% |
| 2016 | 282 | 41.5% | 38.5% |
| 2017 | 257 | 37.7% | 41.0% |
| 2018 | 445 | 44.9% | 44.2% |
| 2019 | 563 | 40.7% | 44.1% |
| 2020 | 301 | 42.9% | 41.9% |
| 2021 | 528 | 43.9% | 47.3% |
| 2022 | 1,132 | 26.4% | 38.6% |
| 2023 | 224 | 39.3% | 38.9% |
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
La Plata County, State data
Colorado's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat Colorado's own agencies publish about radon tests in La Plata 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 La Plata 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
43.1%
1,451 of 3,365 tests
Median result
3.3 pCi/L
Highest result
315.1 pCi/L
Tests behind these figures
3,365 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.
La Plata County, Geology
The ground under La Plata County
PredictedMost of the ground under La Plata County is one class on USGS's geologic map: 99.9% of its land is moderate radon potential, with 0.1% high. The map puts 85.5% of La Plata County in the area it calls San Juan Basin and 14.5% in San Juan Volcanic field. USGS gives both a radon index of 11, in the moderate band (9 to 11).
| Area | The rock, in USGS's words | Potential | Radon index | Share of land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Juan Basin | Mesozoic marine and non-marine sedimentary rocks including sandstone, siltstone, shale, minor limestone. | Moderate | 11 | 85.5% |
| San Juan Volcanic field | Volcanic rocks, rhyolite, tuff, basalt | Moderate | 11 | 14.5% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
La Plata County beside the ground around it
Colorado as a whole has more high-potential ground than La Plata County: 74.8% of its land, against 0.1% here. Of the 6 counties that border it, 4 have more high-potential ground, Dolores County the most at 93.1%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
La Plata County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in La Plata County
Listed radon businesses with an address in La Plata 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.
Listed radon professionals by town: Durango
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
La Plata County, Questions
Questions about radon in La Plata County
Are radon levels high in La Plata County?
In 2023, 39.3% of the radon tests reported to CDC for La Plata County, Colorado were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 3.1 pCi/L. Of 38 Colorado counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 19 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 38.9%.
Which counties border La Plata County?
La Plata County borders 6 counties: San Juan County, CO, Montezuma County, CO, Dolores County, CO, Archuleta County, CO, Hinsdale County, CO and San Juan County, NM.
Products
La Plata County, Products
Testing a home in La Plata County
In La Plata County, 39.3% of 224 tests reported to CDC in 2023 reached 4 pCi/L, against 38.9% pooled across Colorado. In Zone 1 the year-round level in La Plata 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
Monitor
RadonEye RD200 plug-in continuous radon monitor
- C-NRPP 2024/25: Approved
- Plug-in
- Bluetooth
- Alarm
- Screen, app
Method: Ion chamber
First reading: Within 10 minutes
Short-term kit
Radon Short Term Test Kit short-term charcoal radon test kit, lab fee included
- Lab fee included
Method: Charcoal
In home: 2 to 7 days
- See every kit and monitor Test kits and monitors
Test kits and monitors: 1 of 3
La Plata County is in EPA Zone 1, the highest predicted radon potential. Best radon monitors for Zone 1 counties like La Plata County
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La Plata County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering La Plata County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Hinsdale County, COEPA zone 2
100.0%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 6.8 pCi/L · 1 test · 60.7 points above La Plata County
- Radon levels in San Juan County, COEPA zone 2
46.2%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.6 pCi/L · 13 tests · 6.9 points above La Plata County
- Radon levels in Archuleta County, COEPA zone 2
40.2%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.3 pCi/L · 92 tests · 0.9 points above La Plata County
- Radon levels in Montezuma County, COEPA zone 1
33.3%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.0 pCi/L · 72 tests · 6.0 points below La Plata County
- Radon levels in Dolores County, COEPA zone 1
0.0%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 0.5 pCi/L · 2 tests · 39.3 points below La Plata County
- Radon levels in San Juan County, NMEPA zone 2
No CDC figure for 2023; its page reads it against its own neighbours.
La Plata County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in La Plata County
The Census Bureau estimates 56,898 residents in La Plata County for July 1, 2025, 1,219 more than in 2020 (+2.2%). That works out to 34 people per square mile of land. Its largest town, Durango, has 19,733 residents, 34.7% of the total. Together its 3 incorporated places hold 41.4% of those residents; the other 58.6% live outside any of them. CDC's 224 reported tests for 2023 work out to 3.9 per 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), close to Colorado's 3.6.
From Durango to Ignacio, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads La Plata County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durango | 19,733 | +3.2% | 34.7% |
| Bayfield | 2,974 | +3.7% | 5.2% |
| Ignacio | 869 | +2.1% | 1.5% |
Places in La Plata County with a city page: 1 of 1
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).
La Plata County, Homes
Homes in La Plata County
Of La Plata County's 28,613 homes, 62% are detached houses, against 62% across Colorado; 13% are mobile homes. Half of its homes were built before 1991, close to Colorado's 1987: 15% date from before 1960 and 33% from 2000 or later. 71% 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 | La Plata County | Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 28,613 | 2,545,124 |
| Detached houses | 62% | 62% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 12% | 22% |
| Mobile homes | 13% | 4% |
| Built before 1960 | 15% | 16% |
| Built since 2000 | 33% | 31% |
| Middle year built | 1991 | 1987 |
| Owner-occupied | 71% | 66% |
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.