Short-term kitFirst Alert
RD1 short-term charcoal radon test kit
- Lab fee included
Method: Charcoal
In home: 2 to 4 days
Locations and reports
Radon Levels in Cowley County, Kansas
EPA puts Cowley County in Zone 2, its middle radon zone, and 39.8% of its 118 reported radon tests (2022) 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
39.8%
7.8 pts above KS
- Cowley
- 39.8%
- Kansas
- 32.0%
118 tests, 2022
Median result
3.3pCi/L
Below action level
- Cowley
- 3.3 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2022
Tests reported
118
17th of 38 by tests
- Cowley
- 118
- Johnson
- 5,240
Reported to CDC before any fix, 2022
EPA radon zone
Zone 2
Moderate potential
- 1
- Zone 2
- 3
1 highest, 3 lowest
EPA predicts 2 to 4 pCi/L indoors
Rank in Kansas
13 of 38
Middle half
- Cowley
- 39.8%
- Mitchell
- 57.4%
By share, of 38 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Cowley County
Starts at Cowley County's median, 3.3 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 3.3 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. Cowley County's median reported result, 2022.
The data
Cowley County, At a glance
Cowley County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 2: moderate predicted potential
Cowley County is a
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 Cowley County, 2022
| Year | Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 42.1% |
| 2017 | 46.3% |
| 2018 | 41.5% |
| 2019 | 41.6% |
| 2020 | 21.4% |
| 2021 | 33.6% |
| 2022 | 39.8% |
2022: 39.8%. Across these years the share ran from 21.4% to 46.3%. Each column counts radon tests reported to CDC that year, not homes.
What these figures count
These are the 118 tests reported to CDC for Cowley County over 2022, 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: 2022. Measured data period: 2016 to 2022 (every CDC figure on file).
Cowley County, Compared
Cowley County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411In Cowley County, about 4 in 10 reported tests in 2022 (47 of 118) were at or above EPA's action level. Against the national pool of 23.9%, the gap is 15.9 points higher. Across 96 Kansas counties pooled together, 32.0% of tests reached that level, so Cowley County runs 7.8 points above its state.
Of 3 neighbours with a figure, none reported a larger share at or above 4 pCi/L; the spread is 18.4% (Sedgwick County) to 29.1% (Sumner County). By share, Cowley County is 13th of 38 Kansas counties with 30 or more tests for the same period.
Year by year, 2016 opened at 42.1% and 2022 closed at 39.8% (down 2.3 points), with 2017 the high at 46.3%. Half the tests came in under 3.3 pCi/L and half over it; the single highest reached 43.6 pCi/L. Below the action level, 40 tests (33.9%) came in under 2 pCi/L, against 45.8% statewide, and 31 tests (26.3%) fell between 2 and 4, against 22.1% statewide.
Zone 2 on EPA's map (predicted average between 2 and 4 pCi/L) and a 39.8% share point the same way here. USGS geology rates 100% of the county's land moderate radon potential. CDC also counts 23 tests taken after mitigation in Cowley County for the same period: tests in homes where a fix was already in.
The busiest year on file was 2021, with 366 tests reported; the quietest, 2017, had 95.
Cowley CountyKansas, pooled
39.8% % of tests32.0% % of tests
| Year | Tests | Cowley County, at or above 4 pCi/L | Kansas, pooled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 159 | 42.1% | 35.4% |
| 2017 | 95 | 46.3% | 37.3% |
| 2018 | 135 | 41.5% | 37.3% |
| 2019 | 101 | 41.6% | 33.7% |
| 2020 | 126 | 21.4% | 31.3% |
| 2021 | 366 | 33.6% | 31.8% |
| 2022 | 118 | 39.8% | 32.0% |
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Cowley County, Geology
The ground under Cowley County
PredictedMost of the ground under Cowley County is one class on USGS's geologic map: 99.8% of its land is moderate radon potential, with 0.2% low. All of it lies in the area the map calls Glaciated Area, to which USGS gives a radon index of 9, in the moderate band (9 to 11).
| Area | The rock, in USGS's words | Potential | Radon index | Share of land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glaciated Area | Glacial till underlain by Pennsylvanian and Permian marine and nonmarine sedimentary shale, sandstone, limestone, coal. | Moderate | 9 | 99.8% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
Cowley County beside the ground around it
Across Kansas 59.9% of the land is rated high; none of Cowley County's is. Of the 7 counties that border it, 3 have more moderate-potential ground, Butler County the most at 100%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
Cowley County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Cowley County
- Kansas Radon ProgramKansas Radon Program answers questions about testing, mitigation and the rules in Kansas.Visit the program’s page(opens in a new tab)
- Free and low-cost kitsAsk the program whether it has free or discounted kits, or compare kits you can buy.
- Compare kits
- Professionals in Kansas178 professionals are listed in Kansas.
What Kansas's program says
- Phone
- (800) 693-5343
What it means
Cowley County, Questions
Questions about radon in Cowley County
Are radon levels high in Cowley County?
In 2022, 39.8% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Cowley County, Kansas were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 3.3 pCi/L. Of 38 Kansas counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 12 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 32.0%.
Which counties border Cowley County?
Cowley County borders 7 counties: Kay County, OK, Chautauqua County, KS, Sumner County, KS, Elk County, KS, Butler County, KS, Osage County, OK and Sedgwick County, KS.
Products
Cowley County, Products
Testing a home in Cowley County
In Cowley County, 39.8% of 118 tests reported to CDC in 2022 reached 4 pCi/L, against 32.0% pooled across Kansas. In Zone 2 a short-term kit (2 to 90 days) is the quick first check in Cowley County; a long-term test tells the year-round average.
Test kits and monitors3
See every kit and monitor
Long-term kit
RL116 long-term radon test kit
- Lab fee extra
Method: Alpha track
In home: 90 days to 12 months
MonitorAEGTEST
HOUND-1011S rechargeable radon detector with a screen
- C-NRPP 2024/25: Not included
- Battery
- Alarm
- Screen
Method: Semiconductor sensor
First reading: Within 12 hours
- See every kit and monitor Test kits and monitors
Test kits and monitors: 1 of 3
Explore
Cowley County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Cowley County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Sumner County, KSEPA zone 2
29.1%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.3 pCi/L · 79 tests · 10.7 points below Cowley County
- Radon levels in Butler County, KSEPA zone 2
25.5%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.1 pCi/L · 550 tests · 14.3 points below Cowley County
- Radon levels in Sedgwick County, KSEPA zone 2
18.4%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 1.3 pCi/L · 4,911 tests · 21.4 points below Cowley County
- Radon levels in Kay County, OKEPA zone 3
No CDC figure for 2022; its page reads it against its own neighbours.
- Radon levels in Chautauqua County, KSEPA zone 2
No CDC figure for 2022; its page reads it against its own neighbours.
- Radon levels in Elk County, KSEPA zone 2
No CDC figure for 2022; its page reads it against its own neighbours.
- Radon levels in Osage County, OKEPA zone 3
No CDC figure for 2022; its page reads it against its own neighbours.
Cowley County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Cowley County
Cowley County's population has barely moved since 2020: 34,382 residents on July 1, 2025 against 34,528 then, by the Census Bureau's estimates. That works out to 31 people per square mile of land. Its largest town, Arkansas City, has 11,800 residents, 34.3% of the total. Reported testing is thin here: 118 tests over 2022, or 3.4 for every 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), where Kansas as a whole comes to 6.2.
From Arkansas City to Cambridge, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Cowley County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas City | 11,800 | −1.4% | 34.3% |
| Winfield | 11,745 | −0.2% | 34.2% |
| Udall | 645 | −2.4% | 1.9% |
| Burden | 509 | −0.4% | 1.5% |
| Parkerfield | 410 | +1.0% | 1.2% |
| Dexter | 233 | +3.6% | 0.7% |
| Atlanta | 163 | −2.4% | 0.5% |
| Geuda Springsextends beyond Cowley County | 158 | +2.6% | Counted whole |
| Cambridge | 92 | −1.1% | 0.3% |
9 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). A place that extends beyond Cowley County is counted whole, so it has no share.
Cowley County, Homes
Homes in Cowley County
Of Cowley County's 15,647 homes, 74% are detached houses, against 72% across Kansas; 10% are mobile homes. The homes are older than Kansas' as a whole: half were built before 1962 (1975 for Kansas), and 48% date from before 1960. 70% of occupied homes are lived in by their owner (Kansas: 67%); in the rest a tenant can run a test, but a fix is the landlord's to make.
| Homes | Cowley County | Kansas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 15,647 | 1,285,221 |
| Detached houses | 74% | 72% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 7% | 13% |
| Mobile homes | 10% | 4% |
| Built before 1960 | 48% | 33% |
| Built since 2000 | 10% | 20% |
| Middle year built | 1962 | 1975 |
| Owner-occupied | 70% | 67% |
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.