Locations and reports
Radon Levels in District of Columbia
What this means for you
- Your area: EPA puts District of Columbia, one county-level area, in Zone 3. Zones are predictions for whole counties, and homes with elevated levels occur in all three zones.
- Local tests: CDC publishes District of Columbia's radon test results by county. Open your county below to see its figures.
- Your home: The only way to know your home’s level is to test it.
pCi/L (picocuries per liter) is the unit radon is measured in. EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or above, its action level.
For District of Columbia, EPA's Map of Radon Zones places 0 of its 1 classified counties in Zone 1, highest predicted potential, a prediction for each county as a whole. Radon levels vary from home to home, so only a test measures the level in yours.
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 3
EPA classifies counties, not states. District of Columbia is one county-level area, and EPA puts it in Zone 3. An EPA radon zone describes predicted potential across a whole county. It is not intended to determine whether any individual home should be tested, and homes with elevated levels occur in all three zones. EPA recommends testing every home regardless of zone, and testing is the only way to know the radon level in a specific building.
This is a county-level geologic prediction. It is not a measurement of any address, and houses with elevated radon are found in all three zones.
Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Measured: tests reported to CDC
CDC publishes District of Columbia's radon test figures for its one county-level area. They are in the county list.
District of Columbia, In figures
District of Columbia in figures
What the published data says about District of Columbia, in words. A zone and a share of tests describe an area, never the level in any one home.
Predicted
PredictedEPA places District of Columbia, one county-level area, in Zone 3.
No District of Columbia county is in Zone 1.
Compared
Calculated by Radon4110% of District of Columbia's counties with a zone on file are in Zone 1, a smaller share than across all U.S. counties (34%). It is a share of counties, not of land, people or homes.
Reported tests
MeasuredCDC has no statewide testing figure for District of Columbia on file here.
1 of the 1 county has a published county figure; the most tests in each one's latest year were reported for District of Columbia (1,578 in 2017).
Local record
District of Columbia's radon program is the Radon Test Kit Program; its contacts are under Local resources.
One city has a page setting the figures of the counties it lies in side by side: Washington.
District of Columbia, Counties
District of Columbia counties by EPA zone
PredictedDistrict of Columbia is one county-level area, and it has its own county report.
Zone 3: lower predicted potential1
District of Columbia, Cities
Cities in District of Columbia with their own page
Radon data is published by county, not by city. Each city page sets the figures of the counties the city lies in side by side.
District of Columbia, Local resources
Local resources in District of Columbia
Who to ask in District of Columbia: the state's radon program, test kits and professionals.
Radon Test Kit Program
District of Columbia’s radon program answers questions about testing, mitigation and the rules where you live.
- Phone
- (202) 535-2302
Test kits
The program says: District residents can obtain a free radon test kit to reduce prolonged exposure to harmful levels of radon in the home.
Radon professionals
No professionals are listed in District of Columbia yet. The state program can point you to registered testers and mitigators.
See the District of Columbia directoryDistrict of Columbia, Questions
Questions about radon in District of Columbia
Common questions8 questions, answered from the figures above
Is radon a problem in District of Columbia?
EPA's Map of Radon Zones places 0 of the 1 District of Columbia counties it classifies in Zone 1, the highest predicted potential, 0 in Zone 2 and 1 in Zone 3. An EPA radon zone describes predicted potential across a whole county. It is not intended to determine whether any individual home should be tested, and homes with elevated levels occur in all three zones. EPA recommends testing every home regardless of zone, and testing is the only way to know the radon level in a specific building.
How do I get a radon test in District of Columbia?
EPA says you can test your home yourself or hire a qualified radon test company, and that either approach takes only a small amount of time and effort. The District of Columbia radon program is the place to ask about certified testers and any test kit offer it runs.
How to test a homeFree and low-cost kits by stateDistrict of Columbia radon program
Who does radon mitigation in District of Columbia?
Radon411 has no certified mitigators listed for District of Columbia yet. EPA recommends having a qualified contractor fix a home with a radon problem, because lowering high radon levels takes technical knowledge and special skills, and some states require the work to be done by a licensed or certified professional.
How radon mitigation worksWhat mitigation costsRadon professionals in District of Columbia
Which District of Columbia counties have the highest radon?
District of Columbia is one county-level area, and its EPA radon zone is published here. Radon411 will not rank counties on data it does not hold, and a zone is a prediction for an area rather than a measurement of any building.
What share of radon tests in District of Columbia are high?
CDC has published no statewide radon testing statistics for District of Columbia, so we cannot give a figure. Where CDC does publish one, the percentage describes radon tests reported to CDC, not homes.
Which EPA region is District of Columbia in?
District of Columbia is in EPA Region 3: Mid-Atlantic.
Do I need to test my home in District of Columbia?
Yes, wherever you live in the state. Testing is the only way to know the radon level in a specific building. EPA recommends fixing a home when the radon level is 4 pCi/L or higher. EPA recommends considering a fix when the level is between 2 and 4 pCi/L.
Why does this page show coverage rather than one radon level for District of Columbia?
A statewide figure averages counties with very different geology and very different numbers of reported tests, so it hides more than it shows. The county report is the level at which the EPA zone, the geologic potential and the reported testing statistics are actually published, which is why the county table above links to every one of them.
What these figures mean if you own, buy, sell or rent
The zone counts on this page describe counties across District of Columbia. They are predictions for areas, and none of them measures your building.
- How to test a home
If you own your home
Test the lowest lived-in level; a short-term kit screens in days, a long-term kit reflects the year.
- Buying a house: radon guide
If you are buying
Ask for past results and any system's post-mitigation test, and test during the sale.
- Selling a house: radon guide
If you are selling
Testing before you list puts the timing in your hands; disclosure rules differ by state.
- Radon in rental homes
If you rent, or rent out a home
A tenant can test; a fix is the owner's to make, and duties differ by state.
How long a test has to run, under what conditions, and what EPA says a result means: the testing standard, in full.
District of Columbia, Products
Testing and mitigation products
Whatever the figures for District of Columbia show, only a test tells you about one home.
Testing
- Short-term test kitsPassive detectors exposed for a few days under closed-building conditions, then analyzed by a lab.
- Long-term test kitsDetectors exposed for more than 90 days, for a closer picture of the annual average.
- Continuous monitorsPowered devices that log radon on a repeating cycle, often used for transaction tests.
- Digital detectorsConsumer devices that display a running radon reading without a lab.
- Water radon testsKits for radon dissolved in well water, analyzed by a lab.
Mitigation
- Mitigation fansThe inline fan that keeps a soil depressurization system running, sized by the installer.
- System indicatorsU-tube manometers and fan alarms that show whether a mitigation system is still working.
- Sealing materialsCrack, joint and sump sealing used alongside a mitigation system, not instead of one.
District of Columbia / Next steps
What to do next
Learn
Know what radon is
What radon is, how it gets indoors, and why a county zone is not a reading for your home.
Learn about radonTest
Test the building you live in
Short-term or long-term, where the device goes, and closed-house conditions.
How to testFix
Bring a high level down
How a mitigation system works, and the retest that confirms it.
How mitigation worksFind a pro
Hire a certified professional
Measurement and mitigation professionals by state, with their certifications.
Find a professional
Informational. Follow EPA guidance. EPA says all radon tests should be taken for a minimum of 48 hours, with windows and doors closed from 12 hours before a short-term test.