Locations and reports
Radon Levels in Massachusetts
What this means for you
- Your area: EPA rates 3 of Massachusetts's 14 classified counties Zone 1, the highest of its three radon zones. Zones are predictions for whole counties, and homes with elevated levels occur in all three zones.
- Local tests: CDC publishes Massachusetts'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 Massachusetts, EPA's Map of Radon Zones places 3 of its 14 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
14 of 14 counties classified
EPA classifies counties, not states. Of the 14 counties in Massachusetts with a zone, 3 are in Zone 1, 10 in Zone 2 and 1 in Zone 3.
- Zone 1: Highest predicted potentialgreater than 4 pCi/L3 of 14 counties · 21.4%
- Zone 2: Moderate predicted potential2 to 4 pCi/L10 of 14 counties · 71.4%
- Zone 3: Lower predicted potentialless than 2 pCi/L1 of 14 counties · 7.1%
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 Massachusetts's radon test figures by county: 14 of its 14 counties have one. Each county's share is in the county list.
Massachusetts, In figures
Massachusetts in figures
What the published data says about Massachusetts, in words. A zone and a share of tests describe an area, never the level in any one home.
Predicted
PredictedEPA places 3 of Massachusetts's 14 counties in Zone 1, 10 in Zone 2 and 1 in Zone 3.
The Zone 1 counties: Essex County, Middlesex County and Worcester County.
Compared
Calculated by Radon41121% of Massachusetts'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 Massachusetts on file here.
14 of the 14 counties have a published county figure; the most tests in each one's latest year were reported for Middlesex County (30,142 in 2017), Worcester County (16,822 in 2017) and Norfolk County (15,708 in 2017).
Massachusetts's radon program is the Radon Unit, run by Department of Public Health; its contacts are under Local resources.
Massachusetts, Counties
Massachusetts counties by EPA zone
PredictedAll 14 counties, by the zone EPA predicts for each. Every county has its own report.
Zone 1: highest predicted potential3
Zone 2: moderate predicted potential10
- Barnstable County20.6% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Berkshire County27.1% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Bristol County23.2% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Dukes County17.4% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Franklin County22.3% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Hampden County13.1% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Hampshire County18.8% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Nantucket County5.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Norfolk County21.2% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Plymouth County17.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
Zone 3: lower predicted potential1
Massachusetts, Local resources
Local resources in Massachusetts
Who to ask in Massachusetts: the state's radon program, test kits and professionals.
Radon Unit
Department of Public Health
Massachusetts’s radon program answers questions about testing, mitigation and the rules where you live.
- Phone
- (800) 723-6695
- DPHIAQ.radon@mass.gov
Test kits
Ask the program whether it has free or discounted kits, or compare kits you can buy.
Radon professionals
2 professionals are listed in Massachusetts.
Professionals in MassachusettsMassachusetts, Questions
Questions about radon in Massachusetts
Common questions9 questions, answered from the figures above
Is radon a problem in Massachusetts?
EPA's Map of Radon Zones places 3 of the 14 Massachusetts counties it classifies in Zone 1, the highest predicted potential, 10 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.
Who does radon mitigation in Massachusetts?
Radon411's Massachusetts directory lists 2 certified radon 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.
How radon mitigation worksWhat mitigation costsRadon professionals in Massachusetts
How do I get a radon test in Massachusetts?
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 Massachusetts 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 stateMassachusetts radon program
Which Massachusetts counties are in EPA radon Zone 1?
3 counties are in Zone 1: Essex County, Middlesex County, Worcester County. Zone 1 is EPA's class for highest predicted potential, a predicted average indoor screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. A zone is a prediction for a county, not a measurement of any home.
Radon in Essex CountyRadon in Middlesex CountyRadon in Worcester County
Which Massachusetts counties have the highest radon?
14 of Massachusetts's 14 counties have an EPA radon zone 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 Massachusetts are high?
CDC has published no statewide radon testing statistics for Massachusetts, 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 Massachusetts in?
Massachusetts is in EPA Region 1: New England.
Do I need to test my home in Massachusetts?
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 Massachusetts?
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 Massachusetts. 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.
Massachusetts, Products
Testing and mitigation products
Whatever the figures for Massachusetts 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.
Massachusetts / 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.