Locations and reports
Radon Levels in Cook County, Illinois
What this means for you
- Your area: EPA rates Cook County Zone 2, the middle of its three radon zones. That is a prediction for the whole county, and homes with elevated levels occur in all three zones.
- Local tests: Of 26,937 radon tests reported to CDC for Cook County (2017), 19.4% were at or above 4 pCi/L, EPA's action level.
- 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.
In 2017, 19.4% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Cook County, Illinois came back at or above the EPA action level of 4 pCi/L, and the median result was 1.9 pCi/L. EPA's Map of Radon Zones places the county in Zone 2, moderate predicted potential. Radon levels vary from home to home, so only a test measures the level in yours.
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 2: moderate predicted potential
EPA predicts an average indoor of 2 to 4 pCi/L (75 to 150 Bq/m³) across the county as a whole.
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.
USGS geologic potential: Moderate across 97% of the county's land area
Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Measured: tests reported to CDC
Radon tests reported for Cook County, 2017
- Tests reported
- 26,937
- At or above 4 pCi/L
- 19.4%
- Median result
- 1.9 pCi/L
Of 26,937 pre-mitigation tests reported to CDC, not homes in this area. CDC publishes the share in each band, not a count per band, so the per-band counts in the table are calculated by Radon411 and rounded to add up to the published total.
| Result band | Tests Calculated by Radon411 | Share Measured |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 pCi/L | 14,007 | 52.0% |
| 2 to 4 pCi/L | 7,704 | 28.6% |
| 4 pCi/L and above | 5,226 | 19.4% |
Distribution of tested buildings, not this house. People testing before a sale, or because they suspect a problem, are over-represented in any reported testing data.
Measured: CDC tracking data. Figure above: 2017. Measured data period: 2005 to 2017 (every CDC figure on file).
Cook County, In figures
Cook County in figures
What the published data says about Cook County, in words. A zone and a share of tests describe an area, never the level in any one home.
Predicted
PredictedEPA places Cook County in Zone 2, moderate predicted potential, as it does 42 other counties of Illinois's 102.
Of the 6 bordering counties, EPA places Kane County in Zone 1 and DuPage County, Lake County, Lake County, McHenry County and Will County in Zone 2.
Reported tests
MeasuredCDC has annual figures for Cook County for 4 years, 2014 to 2017. In 2017, 19.4% of 26,937 reported tests were at or above 4 pCi/L.
Across those years the share ranged from 9.3% (2016) to 22.3% (2015). Few tests in a year can move it a long way.
Local record
Illinois's radon program is the IEMA-OHS Radon Program, run by Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security; its contacts are under Local resources.
The county's largest incorporated places are Chicago, Elgin and Cicero; the figures here cover them as part of the county.
Cook County, Reported testing
Reported testing over time
Measured| Year | Median reported result | Highest reported result | Share of tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 2.0 pCi/L | 129.2 pCi/L | 20.5% |
| 2015 | 2.1 pCi/L | 79.6 pCi/L | 22.3% |
| 2016 | 1.1 pCi/L | 20.5 pCi/L | 9.3% |
| 2017 | 1.9 pCi/L | 101.4 pCi/L | 19.4% |
What these figures count
Every percentage here is a share of radon tests reported to CDC for Cook County in 2017. It is not a share of homes in Cook County, and it is not a random sample: it counts only the tests people chose to run and that were reported.
The shares and the median are calculated from pre-mitigation tests (26,937 for 2017). CDC also reports the number of buildings tested (8,979), a different count, so the two totals are not interchangeable.
Cook County, Comparison
How Cook County compares
MeasuredCook County's own published CDC figures beside those of the counties that border it, for the same period.
Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L
Measured2017, highest first. Each county’s own published CDC figure.
- Will CountyIL10,776 tests40.0%
- Kane CountyIL8,682 tests36.6%
- McHenry CountyIL6,474 tests35.1%
- DuPage CountyIL19,401 tests33.7%
- Lake CountyIL13,050 tests27.4%
- Cook CountyThis page26,937 tests19.4%
Median reported result
Measured2017, highest first. Each county’s own published CDC figure.
- Will CountyIL10,776 tests3.1 pCi/L
- McHenry CountyIL6,474 tests2.9 pCi/L
- Kane CountyIL8,682 tests2.8 pCi/L
- DuPage CountyIL19,401 tests2.7 pCi/L
- Lake CountyIL13,050 tests2.4 pCi/L
- Cook CountyThis page26,937 tests1.9 pCi/L
Each figure is that county’s own published CDC figure for 2017, counting radon tests reported to CDC, not homes. Cook County is this page. Nothing is averaged or combined across counties. The test count beside each county is CDC’s published number of pre-mitigation tests behind its figures. Figures from few tests can swing widely from year to year. No published CDC figure for 2017: Lake County, IN. Every Illinois county’s own figure is in the Illinois county table.
CDC publishes this figure only for counties here, so there is no state or national number to compare Cook County, Illinois with.
Cook County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Cook County
Calculated by Radon4116 counties share a boundary with Cook County, computed from Census county geometry. Radon potential follows geology rather than county lines, so a bordering county’s report can be worth reading alongside this one.
Cook County, Local resources
Local resources in Illinois
Who to ask in Illinois: the state's radon program, test kits and professionals.
IEMA-OHS Radon Program
Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security
Illinois’s radon program answers questions about testing, mitigation and the rules where you live.
- Phone
- (800) 325-1245
- Licensing of radon professionals
The Agency also licenses and regulates the individuals who provide radon measurement and mitigation to the public.
- Disclosure when a home is sold or rented
Illinois Radon Awareness Act - This is the legislation that requires the seller to provide to the buyer of any interest in residential real property the IEMA-OHS pamphlet entitled "Radon Testing Guidelines for Real Estate Transactions" and the Illinois Disclosure of Information on Radon Hazards.
Test kits
Ask the program whether it has free or discounted kits, or compare kits you can buy.
Radon professionals
387 professionals are listed in Illinois.
Professionals in IllinoisCook County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Cook County
The radon figures on this page are for Cook County as a whole. They do not differ by city or town.
- Chicago (part)
- Elgin (part)
- Cicero
- Schaumburg (part)
- Evanston
- Arlington Heights
- Skokie
- Palatine
- Des Plaines
- Orland Park (part)
- Oak Lawn
- Mount Prospect
- Tinley Park (part)
- Berwyn
- Oak Park
- Hoffman Estates (part)
- Glenview
- Elmhurst (part)
- Buffalo Grove (part)
- Bartlett (part)
- Park Ridge
- Wheeling (part)
- Streamwood
- Hanover Park (part)
The other 112 places in Cook County
- Calumet City
- Northbrook
- Woodridge (part)
- Elk Grove Village (part)
- Niles
- Burbank
- Lansing
- Wilmette
- Oak Forest
- Chicago Heights
- Homer Glen (part)
- Morton Grove
- Melrose Park
- Rolling Meadows
- Elmwood Park
- Maywood
- Roselle (part)
- Blue Island
- Frankfort (part)
- Park Forest (part)
- South Holland
- Dolton
- Harvey
- Deerfield (part)
- Evergreen Park
- Brookfield
- Homewood
- Matteson
- Bensenville (part)
- Lemont (part)
- Alsip
- Bellwood
- Franklin Park
- Palos Hills
- Hinsdale (part)
- Bridgeview
- Westchester
- Country Club Hills
- La Grange
- Prospect Heights
- Norridge
- Hickory Hills
- Chicago Ridge
- Midlothian
- Forest Park
- Western Springs
- La Grange Park
- Lincolnwood
- Hazel Crest
- Winnetka
- Richton Park
- Northlake
- Justice
- Palos Heights
- River Forest
- Schiller Park
- Markham
- Burr Ridge (part)
- Summit
- Worth
- Barrington (part)
- Crestwood
- Lyons
- River Grove
- Riverdale
- Sauk Village
- Flossmoor
- Steger (part)
- Lynwood
- Riverside
- Harwood Heights
- Glencoe
- Glenwood
- Crete (part)
- Hillside
- Broadview
- Inverness
- North Riverside
- University Park (part)
- Stickney
- Calumet Park
- Orland Hills
- Countryside
- Willow Springs
- Northfield
- Posen
- Berkeley
- South Barrington
- Palos Park
- Olympia Fields
- Robbins
- Stone Park
- Hometown
- Barrington Hills (part)
- Indian Head Park
- Burnham
- South Chicago Heights
- Rosemont
- Deer Park (part)
- East Dundee (part)
- Dixmoor
- Kenilworth
- Thornton
- Merrionette Park
- Ford Heights
- Phoenix
- Hodgkins
- East Hazel Crest
- Forest View
- Bedford Park
- Golf
- McCook
136 incorporated places, as listed in the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 place reference files. “(part)” marks a place that extends into another county.
Cook County, Questions
Questions about radon in Cook County
Common questions8 questions, answered from the figures above
Are radon levels high in Cook County?
In 2017, 19.4% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Cook County, Illinois were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 1.9 pCi/L. That is a share of reported tests, not of homes. EPA places Cook County in Zone 2, moderate predicted potential, a predicted average indoor screening level 2 to 4 pCi/L. Homes with elevated levels occur in all three zones, so the figures describe the area, not your house. Testing is the only way to know the radon level in a specific building.
How do I get a radon test in Cook County?
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. No certified tester listed on Radon411 names Cook County as a service area yet. The Illinois radon program is the place to ask about certified testers and any test kit offer it runs.
How to test a homeTest kits comparedFree and low-cost kits by stateIllinois radon program
Who does radon mitigation in Cook County?
No listed mitigator names Cook County as a service area yet; the Illinois directory lists 387 companies. 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. Your state radon program is the place to check whether Illinois requires one.
How radon mitigation worksWhat mitigation costsMitigators in Illinois
What EPA radon zone is Cook County in?
EPA places Cook County, Illinois in Zone 2, which EPA describes as moderate predicted potential for the area. A zone is a prediction for the whole county and never determines whether a particular home should be tested. EPA recommends testing every home regardless of zone.
Should I test my home in Cook County?
Yes. 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. How to test a home.
When is the best time of year to test?
EPA says short-term tests stay in the home from 2 to 90 days and that all radon tests should run a minimum of 48 hours; long-term tests stay more than 90 days. EPA's guides do not name a best season: they say radon levels tend to vary from day to day and season to season, so a long-term test is more likely than a short-term test to tell you the year-round average.
What does it cost to test?
EPA's Citizen's Guide calls testing easy and inexpensive, and EPA's Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide says passive short-term and long-term devices are generally inexpensive, while active devices may cost more. No national average price is published for this, so Radon411 does not give one. What testing costs.
Which counties border Cook County?
Cook County borders 6 counties, derived from Census county geometry. Radon potential follows geology rather than county lines, so a bordering county's report can be relevant.
What these figures mean if you own, buy, sell or rent
The reported-test figures on this page describe Cook County, Illinois in 2017. They describe tests other people carried out in other buildings, and none of them measures yours.
- 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.
Cook County, Products
Testing and mitigation products
Whatever the figures for Cook County 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.
Cook County / 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.