Short-term kit
RA400 short-term liquid scintillation radon test kit, lab fee included
- Lab fee included
Method: Liquid scintillation
In home: 48 to 96 hours
Locations and reports
Radon Levels in Benzie County, Michigan
EPA puts Benzie County in Zone 3, its lowest radon zone, and most reported tests there come back low, though 8.7% of 334 (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
8.7%
18.2 pts below MI
- Benzie
- 8.7%
- Michigan
- 26.9%
334 tests, 2008 to 2017
Median result
1.3pCi/L
Below action level
- Benzie
- 1.3 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2008 to 2017
Tests reported
334
57th of 82 by tests
- Benzie
- 334
- Oakland
- 16,224
Reported to CDC before any fix, 2008 to 2017
EPA radon zone
Zone 3
Lower potential
- 1
- 2
- Zone 3
1 highest, 3 lowest
EPA predicts under 2 pCi/L indoors
Rank in Michigan
72 of 82
Lowest quarter
- Benzie
- 8.7%
- Lenawee
- 56.7%
By share, of 82 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Benzie County
Starts at Benzie County's median, 1.3 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 1.3 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. Benzie County's median reported result, 2008 to 2017.
The data
Benzie County, At a glance
Benzie County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 3: lower predicted potential
USGS geologic potential: Low across 79% of the county's area
Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Measured: tests reported to CDC
Radon tests reported for Benzie County, 2008 to 2017, laboratory
Under 2 pCi/L: 68%2 to 4 pCi/L: 23%4 pCi/L and above: 9%
Of 334 pre-mitigation tests reported to CDC, not homes in this area.
| Result band | Tests Measured | Share Measured |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 pCi/L | 227 | 68.0% |
| 2 to 4 pCi/L | 78 | 23.4% |
| 4 pCi/L and above | 29 | 8.7% |
What these figures count
These are the 334 tests reported to CDC for Benzie 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).
Benzie County, Compared
Benzie County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411Benzie County reports fewer high tests than Michigan overall. 8.7% of its 334 tests over the 2008 to 2017 laboratory totals were at or above 4 pCi/L. That is 18.2 points below the 26.9% pooled from 83 Michigan counties.
Ordered from highest share down, it comes 72nd 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%; Benzie County sits 27.0 points below it.
Next door, the shares run from 7.7% in Leelanau County to 16.5% in Manistee County, with Leelanau County below Benzie County. Zone 3 on EPA's map (predicted average under 2 pCi/L) and a 8.7% share point the same way here.
Half the tests came in under 1.3 pCi/L and half over it; the single highest reached 18.1 pCi/L. The rest split 68.0% under 2 pCi/L and 23.4% from 2 to 4 (Michigan: 46.4% and 26.7%).
CDC's ten-year totals for Benzie County went from 292 tests (2005 to 2014) to 334 (2008 to 2017), the share going from 8.6% to 8.7%.
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Benzie County, State data
Michigan's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat Michigan's own agencies publish about radon tests in Benzie 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 Benzie County
Michigan EGLE publishes its figures by ZIP code, not by county. These are the 10 ZIP codes that lie wholly or partly in Benzie County, each with the state's own figures for it. Period: About 10 years to 2026-05-15.
| ZIP code | What the state reports |
|---|---|
| 49613 | 0% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 1.6 pCi/L, 7 tests |
| 49616 | 0% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 1.2 pCi/L, 11 tests |
| 49617 | 14% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 1.6 pCi/L, 43 tests |
| 49630 | 6% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 1.1 pCi/L, 16 tests |
| 49635 | 0% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 0.9 pCi/L, 49 tests |
| 49640 | 8% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 0.8 pCi/L, 13 tests |
| 49643 | 20% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 2.1 pCi/L, 41 tests |
| 49650 | 14% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 2.0 pCi/L, 21 tests |
| 49683 | 9% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 2.3 pCi/L, 11 tests |
| 49684 | 12% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 1.4 pCi/L, 329 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.
Benzie County, Geology
The ground under Benzie County
PredictedMost of the ground under Benzie County is one class on USGS's geologic map: 79.0% of its land is low radon potential, with 20.8% moderate. The map puts 79.0% of Benzie County in the area it calls North-Central Michigan Basin and 20.8% in Antrim Shale. USGS gives the first a radon index of 8, in the low band (5 to 8), and the second 10, in the moderate band (9 to 11).
| Area | The rock, in USGS's words | Potential | Radon index | Share of land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North-Central Michigan Basin | Sandy and silty glacial deposits derived from sandstones, gray shales, limestones, and dolomites. | Low | 8 | 79.0% |
| Antrim Shale | Glacial deposits dervied in part from Antrim black shale. | Moderate | 10 | 20.8% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
Benzie County beside the ground around it
Across Michigan 9.6% of the land is rated high; none of Benzie County's is. Of the 4 counties that border it, 2 have more moderate-potential ground, Leelanau County the most at 79.5%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
Benzie County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Benzie 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.
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
Benzie County, Questions
Questions about radon in Benzie County
Are radon levels high in Benzie County?
Over the 2008 to 2017 laboratory totals, 8.7% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Benzie County, Michigan were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 1.3 pCi/L. Of 82 Michigan counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 71 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 26.9%.
Which counties border Benzie County?
Benzie County borders 4 counties: Grand Traverse County, Manistee County, Leelanau County and Wexford County.
Products
Benzie County, Products
Testing a home in Benzie County
In Benzie County, 8.7% of 334 tests reported to CDC over the 2008 to 2017 laboratory totals reached 4 pCi/L, against 26.9% pooled across Michigan. Zone 3 is the lowest label, yet homes at or above 4 pCi/L occur in every zone: a short-term kit (2 to 90 days) is the quick first check in Benzie County.
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
MonitorAEGTEST
HOUND-3786 rechargeable radon monitor with a 3.5-inch color screen
- C-NRPP 2024/25: Not included
- Battery
- Alarm
- Screen
Method: Ion chamber
First reading: Within 10 minutes
- See every kit and monitor Test kits and monitors
Test kits and monitors: 1 of 3
Explore
Benzie County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Benzie County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Manistee CountyEPA zone 3
16.5%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 1.6 pCi/L · 388 tests · 7.8 points above Benzie County
- Radon levels in Grand Traverse CountyEPA zone 3
11.5%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 1.4 pCi/L · 1,614 tests · 2.8 points above Benzie County
- Radon levels in Wexford CountyEPA zone 3
9.7%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 1.5 pCi/L · 621 tests · 1.0 points above Benzie County
- Radon levels in Leelanau CountyEPA zone 2
7.7%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 1.2 pCi/L · 687 tests · 1.0 points below Benzie County
Benzie County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Benzie County
The Census Bureau estimates 18,568 residents in Benzie County for July 1, 2025, 566 more than in 2020 (+3.1%). That works out to 58 people per square mile of land. No town dominates: Frankfort, the largest, has 1,280 residents, 6.9% of the total. Together its 7 incorporated places hold 19.1% of those residents; the other 80.9% live outside any of them. Testing is reported here more often than across the state: CDC's 334 reported tests for 2008 to 2017 come to 18.0 for every 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), against 11.3 for Michigan.
From Frankfort to Lake Ann, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Benzie County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frankfort | 1,280 | +2.2% | 6.9% |
| Benzonia | 566 | +3.5% | 3.0% |
| Thompsonville | 488 | +4.1% | 2.6% |
| Honor | 335 | +3.1% | 1.8% |
| Elberta | 317 | +2.3% | 1.7% |
| Beulah | 312 | +2.3% | 1.7% |
| Lake Ann | 254 | +3.3% | 1.4% |
7 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).
Benzie County, Homes
Homes in Benzie County
Benzie County is a place of houses on their own lots: 86% of its 12,231 homes are detached single-family houses, against 72% across Michigan. Much of Benzie County is recent building: 20% of its homes have gone up since 2000 and the middle year built is 1985, against 1972 for Michigan. Owners live in 88% of the occupied homes (Michigan: 73%), so for most households a test and a fix are their own to order.
| Homes | Benzie County | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 12,231 | 4,599,683 |
| Detached houses | 86% | 72% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 3% | 13% |
| Mobile homes | 7% | 5% |
| Built before 1960 | 22% | 36% |
| Built since 2000 | 20% | 15% |
| Middle year built | 1985 | 1972 |
| Owner-occupied | 88% | 73% |
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.