Short-term kit
Air Chek Short-Term radon test kit you hang, lab fee included
- Lab fee included
In home: 72 to 168 hours
Locations and reports
Radon Levels in Houghton County, Michigan
EPA puts Houghton County in Zone 2, its middle radon zone, and most reported tests there come back low, though 10.8% of 1,093 (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
10.8%
16.1 pts below MI
- Houghton
- 10.8%
- Michigan
- 26.9%
1,093 tests, 2008 to 2017
Median result
1.1pCi/L
Below action level
- Houghton
- 1.1 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2008 to 2017
Tests reported
1,093
26th of 82 by tests
- Houghton
- 1,093
- 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
67 of 82
Lowest quarter
- Houghton
- 10.8%
- Lenawee
- 56.7%
By share, of 82 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Houghton County
Starts at Houghton County's median, 1.1 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 1.1 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. Houghton County's median reported result, 2008 to 2017.
The data
Houghton County, At a glance
Houghton County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 2: moderate predicted potential
Houghton County is a
USGS geologic potential: Moderate across 81% of the county's area
Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Measured: tests reported to CDC
Radon tests reported for Houghton County, 2008 to 2017, laboratory
Under 2 pCi/L: 72%2 to 4 pCi/L: 17%4 pCi/L and above: 11%
Of 1,093 pre-mitigation tests reported to CDC, not homes in this area.
| Result band | Tests Measured | Share Measured |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 pCi/L | 790 | 72.3% |
| 2 to 4 pCi/L | 185 | 16.9% |
| 4 pCi/L and above | 118 | 10.8% |
What these figures count
These are the 1,093 tests reported to CDC for Houghton 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).
Houghton County, Compared
Houghton County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411Houghton County reports fewer high tests than Michigan overall. 10.8% of its 1,093 tests over the 2008 to 2017 laboratory totals were at or above 4 pCi/L. That is 16.1 points below the 26.9% pooled from 83 Michigan counties.
Ordered from highest share down, it comes 67th 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%; Houghton County sits 24.9 points below it.
Next door, the shares run from 11.0% in Baraga County to 36.2% in Iron County. Zone 2 on EPA's map (predicted average between 2 and 4 pCi/L) and a 10.8% share point the same way here.
Half the tests came in under 1.1 pCi/L and half over it; the single highest reached 20.6 pCi/L. The rest split 72.3% under 2 pCi/L and 16.9% from 2 to 4 (Michigan: 46.4% and 26.7%).
CDC's ten-year totals for Houghton County went from 1,045 tests (2005 to 2014) to 1,093 (2008 to 2017), the share going from 9.7% to 10.8%.
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Houghton County, State data
Michigan's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat Michigan's own agencies publish about radon tests in Houghton 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 Houghton County
Michigan EGLE publishes its figures by ZIP code, not by county. These are the 16 ZIP codes that lie wholly or partly in Houghton County, each with the state's own figures for it. Period: About 10 years to 2026-05-15.
| ZIP code | What the state reports |
|---|---|
| 49805 | 4 tests, figures not shown |
| 49905 | 11% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 1.3 pCi/L, 18 tests |
| 49913 | 3% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 0.6 pCi/L, 87 tests |
| 49916 | 0% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 0.8 pCi/L, 46 tests |
| 49917 | 1 tests, figures not shown |
| 49922 | 15% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 1.3 pCi/L, 33 tests |
| 49930 | 19% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 1.4 pCi/L, 105 tests |
| 49931 | 10% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 0.9 pCi/L, 113 tests |
| 49934 | 4 tests, figures not shown |
| 49945 | 0% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 1.1 pCi/L, 29 tests |
| 49948 | 3 tests, figures not shown |
| 49955 | 4 tests, figures not shown |
| 49958 | 15% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 0.8 pCi/L, 13 tests |
| 49963 | 0% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 0.3 pCi/L, 9 tests |
| 49965 | 17% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 0.9 pCi/L, 6 tests |
| 49967 | 0% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 0.0 pCi/L, 5 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.
Houghton County, Geology
The ground under Houghton County
PredictedMost of the ground under Houghton County is one class on USGS's geologic map: 81.1% of its land is moderate radon potential, with 16.2% low. The map puts 60.2% of Houghton County in the area it calls Marquette Highland/Keweenaw Peninsula/Gogebic Range and 20.9% in Marquette Highland/Keweenaw Peninsula/Gogebic Range, with one smaller area beside them. USGS gives both 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marquette Highland/Keweenaw Peninsula/Gogebic Range | Granite, iron formtion, sandstone, conglomerate, metamorphic rocks, and glacial drift. | Moderate | 11 | 60.2% |
| Marquette Highland/Keweenaw Peninsula/Gogebic Range | Granite, iron formation, sandstone, conglomerate, metamorphic rocks, and glacial drift. | Moderate | 11 | 20.9% |
| Glacial Lakes | Silt and clay glacial lake deposits. | Low | 7 | 16.2% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
Houghton County beside the ground around it
Across Michigan 9.6% of the land is rated high; none of Houghton County's is. Of the 4 counties that border it, 3 have more moderate-potential ground, Iron County the most at 100%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
Houghton County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Houghton County
Listed radon businesses with an address in Houghton 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: Lake Linden
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
Houghton County, Questions
Questions about radon in Houghton County
Are radon levels high in Houghton County?
Over the 2008 to 2017 laboratory totals, 10.8% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Houghton County, Michigan were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 1.1 pCi/L. Of 82 Michigan counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 66 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 26.9%.
Which counties border Houghton County?
Houghton County borders 4 counties: Baraga County, Ontonagon County, Keweenaw County and Iron County.
Products
Houghton County, Products
Testing a home in Houghton County
In Houghton County, 10.8% of 1,093 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 Houghton 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
MonitorX-Sense
XR0A-iR Wi-Fi battery radon detector with a screen
- C-NRPP 2024/25: Not included
- Battery
- Wi-Fi
- Screen, app
Method: Alpha spectrometry
First reading: Within 24 hours
- See every kit and monitor Test kits and monitors
Test kits and monitors: 1 of 3
Explore
Houghton County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Houghton County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Iron CountyEPA zone 2
36.2%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.6 pCi/L · 265 tests · 25.4 points above Houghton County
- Radon levels in Keweenaw CountyEPA zone 2
22.7%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 0.9 pCi/L · 44 tests · 11.9 points above Houghton County
- Radon levels in Ontonagon CountyEPA zone 3
11.4%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 1.3 pCi/L · 123 tests · 0.6 points above Houghton County
- Radon levels in Baraga CountyEPA zone 2
11.0%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 1.1 pCi/L · 163 tests · 0.2 points above Houghton County
Houghton County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Houghton County
The Census Bureau estimates 37,842 residents in Houghton County for July 1, 2025, 586 more than in 2020 (+1.6%). That works out to 38 people per square mile of land. Its largest town, Houghton, has 8,560 residents, 22.6% of the total. Together its 7 incorporated places hold 46.8% of those residents; the other 53.2% live outside any of them. Testing is reported here more often than across the state: CDC's 1,093 reported tests for 2008 to 2017 come to 28.9 for every 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), against 11.3 for Michigan.
From Houghton to Copper City, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Houghton County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houghton | 8,560 | +2.3% | 22.6% |
| Hancock | 4,596 | +1.1% | 12.1% |
| Laurium | 1,891 | +1.1% | 5.0% |
| Lake Linden | 1,041 | +1.2% | 2.8% |
| South Range | 741 | +1.1% | 2.0% |
| Calumet | 688 | +1.0% | 1.8% |
| Copper City | 201 | +0.5% | 0.5% |
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).
Houghton County, Homes
Homes in Houghton County
Houghton County is a place of houses on their own lots: 77% of its 18,781 homes are detached single-family houses, against 72% across Michigan. The homes are older than Michigan's as a whole: half were built before 1959 (1972 for Michigan), and 51% date from before 1960. 71% of occupied homes are lived in by their owner (Michigan: 73%); in the rest a tenant can run a test, but a fix is the landlord's to make.
| Homes | Houghton County | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 18,781 | 4,599,683 |
| Detached houses | 77% | 72% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 10% | 13% |
| Mobile homes | 5% | 5% |
| Built before 1960 | 51% | 36% |
| Built since 2000 | 13% | 15% |
| Middle year built | 1959 | 1972 |
| Owner-occupied | 71% | 73% |
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.