Short-term kitempowerDX
Standard Radon Test short-term mail-in radon test kit
- Lab fee included
Method: Passive sampler
In home: 48 to 96 hours
Locations and reports
Radon Levels in Alpena County, Michigan
EPA puts Alpena County in Zone 2, its middle radon zone, and most reported tests there come back low, though 13.3% of 1,139 (2008 to 2017, laboratory totals) reached 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
13.3%
13.6 pts below MI
- Alpena
- 13.3%
- Michigan
- 26.9%
1,139 tests, 2008 to 2017
Median result
0.9pCi/L
Below action level
- Alpena
- 0.9 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2008 to 2017
Tests reported
1,139
25th of 82 by tests
- Alpena
- 1,139
- Oakland
- 16,224
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 Michigan
57 of 82
Middle half
- Alpena
- 13.3%
- Lenawee
- 56.7%
By share, of 82 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Alpena County
Starts at Alpena County's median, 0.9 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 0.9 pCi/L
Below 2 pCi/L
- Under 20 to 1.9 pCi/L
- 2 to 4consider a fix
- 4 and aboveEPA says fix it
This result is below 2 pCi/L, the level at which EPA says a fix should be considered. Alpena County's median reported result, 2008 to 2017.
The data
Alpena County, At a glance
Alpena County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 2: moderate predicted potential
Alpena County is a
USGS geologic potential: Moderate across 68% of the county's area
Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Measured: tests reported to CDC
Radon tests reported for Alpena County, 2008 to 2017, laboratory
Under 2 pCi/L: 75%2 to 4 pCi/L: 12%4 pCi/L and above: 13%
Of 1,139 pre-mitigation tests reported to CDC, not homes in this area.
| Result band | Tests Measured | Share Measured |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 pCi/L | 847 | 74.4% |
| 2 to 4 pCi/L | 140 | 12.3% |
| 4 pCi/L and above | 152 | 13.3% |
What these figures count
These are the 1,139 tests reported to CDC for Alpena 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).
Alpena County, Compared
Alpena County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411Alpena County reports fewer high tests than Michigan overall. 13.3% of its 1,139 tests over the 2008 to 2017 laboratory totals were at or above 4 pCi/L. That is 13.6 points below the 26.9% pooled from 83 Michigan counties.
Ordered from highest share down, it comes 57th of 82 Michigan counties with 30 or more tests for the same period. Nationally, every county with a figure for the same period pools to 35.7%; Alpena County sits 22.4 points below it.
Next door, the shares run from 14.7% in Montmorency County to 22.8% in Presque Isle County. Zone 2 on EPA's map (predicted average between 2 and 4 pCi/L) and a 13.3% share point the same way here.
Half the tests came in under 0.9 pCi/L and half over it; the single highest reached 59.2 pCi/L. The rest split 74.4% under 2 pCi/L and 12.3% from 2 to 4 (Michigan: 46.4% and 26.7%).
CDC's ten-year totals for Alpena County went from 980 tests (2005 to 2014) to 1,139 (2008 to 2017), the share going from 13.8% to 13.3%.
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Alpena County, State data
Michigan's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat Michigan's own agencies publish about radon tests in Alpena County, with their period. These are not CDC's figures and are never added to them.
MeasuredState figures, not CDC's
What Michigan EGLE reports for the ZIP codes in Alpena County
Michigan EGLE publishes its figures by ZIP code, not by county. These are the 8 ZIP codes that lie wholly or partly in Alpena County, each with the state's own figures for it. Period: About 10 years to 2026-05-15.
| ZIP code | What the state reports |
|---|---|
| 48762 | 17% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 3.1 pCi/L, 6 tests |
| 49707 | 7% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 0.6 pCi/L, 331 tests |
| 49744 | 18% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 2.1 pCi/L, 17 tests |
| 49746 | 11% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 1.3 pCi/L, 27 tests |
| 49747 | 26% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 2.3 pCi/L, 23 tests |
| 49753 | 19% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 1.4 pCi/L, 27 tests |
| 49766 | 17% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 1.4 pCi/L, 24 tests |
| 49776 | 46% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 3.5 pCi/L, 26 tests |
- EGLE's figures cover first-time tests only, from organizations willing to provide data.
- EGLE does not publish figures for a ZIP code with fewer than 5 test results.
- EGLE says the map is not intended to decide whether a home should be tested: all homes should be tested.
- ZIP code boundaries are postal delivery areas, not legal or administrative boundaries.
- A ZIP code that crosses the county line is listed whole; its figures cover all of it.
Measured: Michigan EGLE data, About 10 years to 2026-05-15.
Alpena County, Geology
The ground under Alpena County
PredictedUSGS's geologic map splits Alpena County: 68.4% of its land is moderate radon potential and 30.5% low. The map puts 68.4% of Alpena County in the area it calls Antrim Shale and 30.5% in Glacial lakes. USGS gives the first a radon index of 10, in the moderate band (9 to 11), and the second 7, in the low band (5 to 8).
| Area | The rock, in USGS's words | Potential | Radon index | Share of land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antrim Shale | Glacial deposits dervied in part from Antrim black shale. | Moderate | 10 | 68.4% |
| Glacial lakes | Silt and clay glacial lake deposits. | Low | 7 | 30.5% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
Alpena County beside the ground around it
Across Michigan 9.6% of the land is rated high; none of Alpena County's is. Of the 4 counties that border it, 2 have more moderate-potential ground, Montmorency County the most at 97.9%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
Alpena County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Alpena County
Listed radon businesses with an address in Alpena County:
- Michigan Indoor Radon ProgramMichigan Indoor Radon Program, run by Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, does not license radon professionals, and answers questions about testing and mitigation in Michigan.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 Michigan69 professionals are listed in Michigan.
Listed radon professionals by town: Alpena
What Michigan's program says
- Phone
- 800-723-6642
- Radon@Michigan.gov
- Licensing of radon professionals
Michigan does not license or regulate radon testing and mitigation contractors.
What it means
Alpena County, Questions
Questions about radon in Alpena County
Are radon levels high in Alpena County?
Over the 2008 to 2017 laboratory totals, 13.3% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Alpena County, Michigan were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 0.9 pCi/L. Of 82 Michigan counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 56 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 26.9%.
Which counties border Alpena County?
Alpena County borders 4 counties: Montmorency County, Alcona County, Presque Isle County and Oscoda County.
Products
Alpena County, Products
Testing a home in Alpena County
In Alpena County, 13.3% of 1,139 tests reported to CDC over the 2008 to 2017 laboratory totals reached 4 pCi/L, against 26.9% pooled across Michigan. In Zone 2 a short-term kit (2 to 90 days) is the quick first check in Alpena 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
MonitorKidde
Radon Detector (RAB) battery digital radon detector with an alarm
- 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
Alpena County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Alpena County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Presque Isle CountyEPA zone 2
22.8%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 1.9 pCi/L · 509 tests · 9.5 points above Alpena County
- Radon levels in Alcona CountyEPA zone 2
20.5%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 1.7 pCi/L · 185 tests · 7.2 points above Alpena County
- Radon levels in Oscoda CountyEPA zone 3
18.5%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.1 pCi/L · 54 tests · 5.2 points above Alpena County
- Radon levels in Montmorency CountyEPA zone 2
14.7%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 1.6 pCi/L · 191 tests · 1.4 points above Alpena County
Alpena County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Alpena County
Alpena County's population has barely moved since 2020: 28,853 residents on July 1, 2025 against 28,891 then, by the Census Bureau's estimates. That works out to 50 people per square mile of land. Its largest town, Alpena, has 10,088 residents, 35.0% of the total. Testing is reported here more often than across the state: CDC's 1,139 reported tests for 2008 to 2017 come to 39.5 for every 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), against 11.3 for Michigan.
From Alpena to Hillman, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Alpena County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpena | 10,088 | −1.4% | 35.0% |
| Hillmanextends beyond Alpena County | 666 | +6.6% | Counted whole |
2 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 Alpena County is counted whole, so it has no share.
Alpena County, Homes
Homes in Alpena County
Alpena County is a place of houses on their own lots: 80% of its 15,674 homes are detached single-family houses, against 72% across Michigan. Half of its homes were built before 1968, close to Michigan's 1972: 39% date from before 1960 and 9% from 2000 or later. Owners live in 79% of the occupied homes (Michigan: 73%), so for most households a test and a fix are their own to order.
| Homes | Alpena County | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 15,674 | 4,599,683 |
| Detached houses | 80% | 72% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 6% | 13% |
| Mobile homes | 6% | 5% |
| Built before 1960 | 39% | 36% |
| Built since 2000 | 9% | 15% |
| Middle year built | 1968 | 1972 |
| Owner-occupied | 79% | 73% |
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.