Short-term kitKidde
442020 short-term charcoal radon test kit
- Lab fee included
Method: Charcoal
In home: 3 days
Locations and reports
Radon Levels in Owen County, Kentucky
EPA puts Owen County in Zone 2, its middle radon zone, and 36.2% of its 58 reported radon tests (2008 to 2017, laboratory totals) 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
36.2%
7.5 pts below KY
- Owen
- 36.2%
- Kentucky
- 43.7%
58 tests, 2008 to 2017
Median result
2.5pCi/L
Below action level
- Owen
- 2.5 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2008 to 2017
Tests reported
58
49th of 69 by tests
- Owen
- 58
- Jefferson
- 6,590
Reported to CDC before any fix, 2008 to 2017
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 Kentucky
35 of 69
Middle half
- Owen
- 36.2%
- Meade
- 68.4%
By share, of 69 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Owen County
Starts at Owen County's median, 2.5 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 2.5 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. Owen County's median reported result, 2008 to 2017.
The data
Owen County, At a glance
Owen County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 2: moderate predicted potential
Owen County is a
USGS geologic potential: Moderate across 98% of the county's area
Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Measured: tests reported to CDC
Radon tests reported for Owen County, 2008 to 2017, laboratory
Under 2 pCi/L: 35%2 to 4 pCi/L: 29%4 pCi/L and above: 36%
Of 58 pre-mitigation tests reported to CDC, not homes in this area.
| Result band | Tests Measured | Share Measured |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 pCi/L | 20 | 34.5% |
| 2 to 4 pCi/L | 17 | 29.3% |
| 4 pCi/L and above | 21 | 36.2% |
What these figures count
These are the 58 tests reported to CDC for Owen County over 2008 to 2017 (laboratory totals), 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: 2008 to 2017, laboratory. Measured data period: 2005 to 2017 (every CDC figure on file).
Owen County, Compared
Owen County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411In Owen County, about 4 in 10 reported tests over the 2008 to 2017 laboratory totals (21 of 58) were at or above EPA's action level. Against the national pool of 35.7%, the gap is 0.5 points higher. Across 120 Kentucky counties pooled together, 43.7% of tests reached that level, so Owen County runs 7.5 points below its state.
Of 4 neighbours with a figure, 3 reported a larger share at or above 4 pCi/L and 1 a smaller one; the spread is 33.3% (Grant County) to 46.9% (Scott County). By share, Owen County is 35th of 69 Kentucky counties with 30 or more tests for the same period.
Half the tests came in under 2.5 pCi/L and half over it; the single highest reached 58.3 pCi/L. Below the action level, 20 tests (34.5%) came in under 2 pCi/L, against 33.2% statewide, and 17 tests (29.3%) fell between 2 and 4, against 23.1% statewide.
Zone 2 on EPA's map (predicted average between 2 and 4 pCi/L) and a 36.2% share point the same way here. USGS geology rates 98% of the county's land moderate radon potential. CDC also counts 5 tests taken after mitigation in Owen County for the same period: tests in homes where a fix was already in.
CDC's ten-year totals for Owen County went from 37 tests (2005 to 2014) to 58 (2008 to 2017), the share going from 27.0% to 36.2%.
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Owen County, Geology
The ground under Owen County
PredictedMost of the ground under Owen County is one class on USGS's geologic map: 98.1% of its land is moderate radon potential, with 1.9% high. 98.1% of it lies in the area the map calls Outer Bluegrass, to which USGS gives 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outer Bluegrass | Ordovician-Devonian limestone and shale. | Moderate | 11 | 98.1% |
| Inner Bluegrass | Ordovician limestones, dolomites and shales. | High | 13 | 1.9% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
Owen County beside the ground around it
Kentucky as a whole has more high-potential ground than Owen County: 18.2% of its land, against 1.9% here. Of the 6 counties that border it, 3 have more high-potential ground, Franklin County the most at 66.8%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
Owen County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Owen County
- Kentucky's radon programKentucky Board of Radon SafetyKentucky's radon program answers questions about testing, mitigation and the rules in Kentucky.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 Kentucky8 professionals are listed in Kentucky.
What Kentucky's program says
- Phone
- 502-782-2782
- Radon@ky.gov
What it means
Owen County, Questions
Questions about radon in Owen County
Are radon levels high in Owen County?
Over the 2008 to 2017 laboratory totals, 36.2% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Owen County, Kentucky were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 2.5 pCi/L. Of 69 Kentucky counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 34 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 43.7%.
Which counties border Owen County?
Owen County borders 6 counties: Grant County, Gallatin County, Henry County, Carroll County, Scott County and Franklin County.
Products
Owen County, Products
Testing a home in Owen County
In Owen County, 36.2% of 58 tests reported to CDC over the 2008 to 2017 laboratory totals reached 4 pCi/L, against 43.7% pooled across Kentucky. In Zone 2 a short-term kit (2 to 90 days) is the quick first check in Owen County; a long-term test tells the year-round average.
Test kits and monitors3
See every kit and monitor
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
MonitorSafetySiren
Pro4 plug-in radon detector with a display and alarm
- C-NRPP 2024/25: Not included
- Plug-in
- Alarm
- Screen
First reading: Within 48 hours
- See every kit and monitor Test kits and monitors
Test kits and monitors: 1 of 3
Explore
Owen County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Owen County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Scott CountyEPA zone 1
46.9%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.6 pCi/L · 875 tests · 10.7 points above Owen County
- Radon levels in Franklin CountyEPA zone 1
43.1%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.3 pCi/L · 810 tests · 6.9 points above Owen County
- Radon levels in Carroll CountyEPA zone 2
38.5%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.5 pCi/L · 26 tests · 2.3 points above Owen County
- Radon levels in Henry CountyEPA zone 2
36.6%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.2 pCi/L · 41 tests · 0.4 points above Owen County
- Radon levels in Grant CountyEPA zone 2
33.3%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.5 pCi/L · 78 tests · 2.9 points below Owen County
- Radon levels in Gallatin CountyEPA zone 2
25.0%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.5 pCi/L · 24 tests · 11.2 points below Owen County
Owen County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Owen County
The Census Bureau estimates 11,601 residents in Owen County for July 1, 2025, 298 more than in 2020 (+2.6%). That works out to 33 people per square mile of land. No town dominates: Owenton, the largest, has 1,690 residents, 14.6% of the total. CDC's 58 reported tests for 2008 to 2017 work out to 5.0 per 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), close to Kentucky's 6.3.
From Owenton to Gratz, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Owen County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owenton | 1,690 | +0.4% | 14.6% |
| Spartaextends beyond Owen County | 234 | +2.6% | Counted whole |
| Monterey | 110 | +0.9% | 0.9% |
| Gratz | 66 | Level | 0.6% |
4 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 Owen County is counted whole, so it has no share.
Owen County, Homes
Homes in Owen County
Of Owen County's 5,378 homes, 69% are detached houses, against 68% across Kentucky; 25% are mobile homes. Much of Owen County is recent building: 23% of its homes have gone up since 2000 and the middle year built is 1990, against 1982 for Kentucky. Owners live in 88% of the occupied homes (Kentucky: 68%), so for most households a test and a fix are their own to order.
| Homes | Owen County | Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 5,378 | 2,010,655 |
| Detached houses | 69% | 68% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 3% | 12% |
| Mobile homes | 25% | 11% |
| Built before 1960 | 16% | 22% |
| Built since 2000 | 23% | 24% |
| Middle year built | 1990 | 1982 |
| Owner-occupied | 88% | 68% |
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.