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Radon Levels in Otsego County, Michigan

EPA puts Otsego County in Zone 2, its middle radon zone, and 38.2% of its 1,080 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

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  • Share at 4+ pCi/L

    38.2%

    11.3 pts above MI

    Otsego
    38.2%
    Michigan
    26.9%

    1,080 tests, 2008 to 2017

  • Median result

    3.2pCi/L

    Below action level

    Otsego
    3.2 pCi/L
    EPA
    4.0 pCi/L

    Midpoint of the tests, 2008 to 2017

  • Tests reported

    1,080

    28th of 82 by tests

    Otsego
    1,080
    Oakland
    16,224

    Reported to CDC before any fix, 2008 to 2017

  • EPA radon zone

    Zone 2

    Moderate potential

    1. 1
    2. Zone 2
    3. 3

    1 highest, 3 lowest

    EPA predicts 2 to 4 pCi/L indoors

  • Rank in Michigan

    9 of 82

    Top quarter

    Otsego
    38.2%
    Lenawee
    56.7%

    By share, of 82 with 30+ tests

Read a result for Otsego County

Starts at Otsego County's median, 3.2 pCi/L

3.2pCi/L

EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.

EPA’s reading of 3.2 pCi/L

Between 2 and 4 pCi/L

  1. Under 20 to 1.9 pCi/L
  2. 2 to 4consider a fix
  3. 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. Otsego County's median reported result, 2008 to 2017.

Interpret this readingWhat a fix costs

The data

Otsego County, At a glance

Otsego County at a glance

Predicted: EPA radon zone

EPA Zone 2: moderate predicted potential

Otsego County is a county: EPA's forecast for it as a whole is an average indoor of 2 to 4 pCi/L (75 to 150 Bq/m³). It describes no single address, and homes above EPA's are found in every zone, this one included.

USGS geologic potential: Moderate across 64% of the county's area

Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones

Measured: tests reported to CDC

Radon tests reported for Otsego County, 2008 to 2017, laboratory

Reported results by concentration band, Otsego County, 2008 to 2017, laboratory
Under 2 pCi/L: 28%2 to 4 pCi/L: 34%4 pCi/L and above: 38%

Of 1,080 pre-mitigation tests reported to CDC, not homes in this area.

Reported results by concentration band, Otsego County, 2008 to 2017, laboratory: data table
Result bandTests MeasuredShare Measured
Under 2 pCi/L30127.9%
2 to 4 pCi/L36633.9%
4 pCi/L and above41338.2%
What these figures count

These are the 1,080 tests reported to CDC for Otsego 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).

How to read these figures

Otsego County, Compared

Otsego County radon figures, compared

Calculated by Radon411

In Otsego County, about 4 in 10 reported tests over the 2008 to 2017 laboratory totals (413 of 1,080) were at or above EPA's action level. Against the national pool of 35.7%, the gap is 2.5 points higher. Across 83 Michigan counties pooled together, 26.9% of tests reached that level, so Otsego County runs 11.3 points above its state.

Of 7 neighbours with a figure, none reported a larger share at or above 4 pCi/L; the spread is 6.2% (Crawford County) to 18.5% (Oscoda County). By share, Otsego County is 9th of 82 Michigan counties with 30 or more tests for the same period.

Half the tests came in under 3.2 pCi/L and half over it; the single highest reached 26.3 pCi/L. Below the action level, 301 tests (27.9%) came in under 2 pCi/L, against 46.4% statewide, and 366 tests (33.9%) fell between 2 and 4, against 26.7% statewide.

Zone 2 on EPA's map (predicted average between 2 and 4 pCi/L) and a 38.2% share point the same way here. USGS geology rates 64% of the county's land moderate radon potential. CDC also counts 47 tests taken after mitigation in Otsego County for the same period: tests in homes where a fix was already in.

CDC's ten-year totals for Otsego County went from 1,188 tests (2005 to 2014) to 1,080 (2008 to 2017), the share going from 39.6% to 38.2%.

Otsego County against Michigan, the United States and nearby counties, 2008 to 2017, laboratory
AreaTestsAt or above 4 pCi/LMedianDifference from Otsego County
Otsego County1,08038.2%3.2 pCi/LThis county
Michigan, pooled83 counties, pooled114,40726.9%Not pooled−11.3 points
United States, pooled2,661 counties, pooled2,013,54435.7%Not pooled−2.5 points
Lenawee Countyhighest in the state1,90756.7%4.6 pCi/L+18.5 points
Muskegon Countylowest in the state6293.2%1.2 pCi/L−35.0 points
Oscoda County, MIborders it5418.5%2.1 pCi/L−19.7 points
Montmorency County, MIborders it19114.7%1.6 pCi/L−23.5 points
Kalkaska County, MIborders it20412.7%1.3 pCi/L−25.5 points
Antrim County, MIborders it34312.0%1.5 pCi/L−26.2 points
Charlevoix County, MIborders it5029.8%1.4 pCi/L−28.4 points
Cheboygan County, MIborders it4658.0%0.8 pCi/L−30.2 points
Crawford County, MIborders it1946.2%1.3 pCi/L−32.0 points
Where Otsego County's reported results fell, 2008 to 2017, laboratory, beside Michigan and the United States
ResultOtsego County testsOtsego County shareMichigan shareU.S. shareAgainst Michigan
Under 2 pCi/L30127.9%46.4%39.6%−18.5 points
2 to 4 pCi/L36633.9%26.7%24.7%+7.2 points
4 pCi/L and above41338.2%26.9%35.7%+11.3 points
Otsego County ranked among the 82 Michigan counties with 30 or more tests, by share at or above 4 pCi/L, 2008 to 2017, laboratory
CountyRankTestsAt or above 4 pCi/LMedian
Jackson County4 of 822,96449.7%3.9 pCi/L
Livingston County5 of 824,88543.1%3.4 pCi/L
Washtenaw County6 of 828,50041.3%3.2 pCi/L
Dickinson County7 of 8284339.3%3.1 pCi/L
Clinton County8 of 822,31338.5%3.1 pCi/L
Otsego County9 of 821,08038.2%3.2 pCi/L
Ionia County10 of 821,39136.8%2.9 pCi/L
Calhoun County11 of 821,64936.4%3.0 pCi/L
Iron County12 of 8226536.2%2.6 pCi/L
Tuscola County13 of 8236935.5%2.6 pCi/L
Eaton County14 of 823,41134.4%2.8 pCi/L
Otsego County ten-year laboratory totals, against Michigan's pooled share
PeriodTestsAt or above 4 pCi/LMedianHighestMichigan, pooledChange from the row before
2008 to 20171,08038.2%3.2 pCi/L26.3 pCi/L26.9%−1.2 points
2007 to 20161,21239.4%3.2 pCi/L35.5 pCi/L26.8%−0.7 points
2006 to 20151,22040.1%3.3 pCi/L35.5 pCi/L26.8%+0.5 points
2005 to 20141,18839.6%3.2 pCi/L35.5 pCi/L26.2%First on file

Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.

Otsego County, State data

Michigan's own radon test data

Measured

What Michigan's own agencies publish about radon tests in Otsego 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 Otsego County

Michigan EGLE publishes its figures by ZIP code, not by county. These are the 7 ZIP codes that lie wholly or partly in Otsego County, each with the state's own figures for it. Period: About 10 years to 2026-05-15.

ZIP codes in Otsego County
ZIP codeWhat the state reports
4973040% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 3.4 pCi/L, 30 tests
4973313% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 1.5 pCi/L, 23 tests
4973535% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 3.0 pCi/L, 357 tests
497383% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 1.3 pCi/L, 118 tests
4975113% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 1.9 pCi/L, 24 tests
4975626% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 2.7 pCi/L, 31 tests
4979514% greater than 4 pCi/L, median 1.8 pCi/L, 22 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.

Otsego County, Geology

The ground under Otsego County

Predicted

USGS's geologic map splits Otsego County: 63.8% of its land is moderate radon potential and 36.2% low. The map puts 63.8% of Otsego County in the area it calls Antrim Shale and 36.2% in North-Central Michigan Basin. USGS gives the first a radon index of 10, in the moderate band (9 to 11), and the second 8, in the low band (5 to 8).

USGS's geologic areas under Otsego County
AreaThe rock, in USGS's wordsPotentialRadon indexShare of land
Antrim ShaleGlacial deposits dervied in part from Antrim black shale.Moderate1063.8%
North-Central Michigan BasinSandy and silty glacial deposits derived from sandstones, gray shales, limestones, and dolomites.Low836.2%

Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.

Otsego County beside the ground around it

Across Michigan 9.6% of the land is rated high; none of Otsego County's is. Of the 7 counties that border it, 3 have more moderate-potential ground, Montmorency County the most at 97.9%.

Share of land by USGS radon potential: Otsego County, the 7 counties bordering it and Michigan
AreaEPA zoneLow potentialModerate potentialHigh potential
Otsego CountyZone 236.2%63.8%None
Crawford CountyZone 3100%NoneNone
Montmorency CountyZone 22.1%97.9%None
Antrim CountyZone 222.4%77.6%None
Oscoda CountyZone 383.5%16.5%None
Charlevoix CountyZone 2None83.2%None
Kalkaska CountyZone 394.9%5.1%None
Cheboygan CountyZone 359.0%40.9%None
Michigan83 counties, pooled by land areaVaries45.0%44.3%9.6%

The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.

Local help

Otsego County, Local resources

Radon testing and mitigation in Otsego County

What Michigan's program says
Phone
800-723-6642
Email
Radon@Michigan.gov
Licensing of radon professionals
Michigan does not license or regulate radon testing and mitigation contractors.

What it means

Otsego County, Questions

Questions about radon in Otsego County

Are radon levels high in Otsego County?

Over the 2008 to 2017 laboratory totals, 38.2% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Otsego County, Michigan were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 3.2 pCi/L. Of 82 Michigan counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 8 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 26.9%.

Which counties border Otsego County?

Otsego County borders 7 counties: Crawford County, Montmorency County, Antrim County, Oscoda County, Charlevoix County, Kalkaska County and Cheboygan County.

Products

Otsego County, Products

Testing a home in Otsego County

In Otsego County, 38.2% of 1,080 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 Otsego County; a long-term test tells the year-round average.

Test kits and monitors3

See every kit and monitor

Best radon monitors for Otsego County homes, compared

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Otsego County, Bordering counties

Counties bordering Otsego County

Calculated by Radon411

Otsego County, Cities and towns

Cities and towns in Otsego County

The Census Bureau estimates 26,080 residents in Otsego County for July 1, 2025, 943 more than in 2020 (+3.8%). That works out to 51 people per square mile of land. No town dominates: Gaylord, the largest, has 4,444 residents, 17.0% of the total. Together its 2 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 1,080 reported tests for 2008 to 2017 come to 41.4 for every 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), against 11.3 for Michigan.

From Gaylord to Vanderbilt, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Otsego County's.

The cities and towns in Otsego County by residents, July 1, 2025
PlaceResidentsSince 2020Share of residents
Gaylord4,444+3.5%17.0%
Vanderbilt530+3.3%2.0%

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).

Otsego County, Homes

Homes in Otsego County

Otsego County is a place of houses on their own lots: 81% of its 14,893 homes are detached single-family houses, against 72% across Michigan. Much of Otsego County is recent building: 18% of its homes have gone up since 2000 and the middle year built is 1981, against 1972 for Michigan. Owners live in 78% of the occupied homes (Michigan: 73%), so for most households a test and a fix are their own to order.

Homes in Otsego County, Michigan, 2019 to 2023
HomesOtsego CountyMichigan
Housing units14,8934,599,683
Detached houses81%72%
In buildings of 5 or more6%13%
Mobile homes7%5%
Built before 196014%36%
Built since 200018%15%
Middle year built19811972
Owner-occupied78%73%

Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.