Locations and reports
Radon Levels in Buffalo County, Nebraska
What this means for you
- Your area: EPA rates Buffalo County Zone 2, the middle of its three radon zones. That is a prediction for the whole county, and homes with elevated levels occur in all three zones.
- Local tests: Of 173 radon tests reported to CDC for Buffalo County (2023), 55.5% were at or above 4 pCi/L, EPA's action level.
- 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.
In 2023, 55.5% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Buffalo County, Nebraska came back at or above the EPA action level of 4 pCi/L, and the median result was 4.2 pCi/L. EPA's Map of Radon Zones places the county in Zone 2, moderate predicted potential. Radon levels vary from home to home, so only a test measures the level in yours.
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 2: moderate predicted potential
EPA predicts an average indoor of 2 to 4 pCi/L (75 to 150 Bq/m³) across the county as a whole.
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.
USGS geologic potential: Moderate across 100% of the county's land area
Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Measured: tests reported to CDC
Radon tests reported for Buffalo County, 2023
- Tests reported
- 173
- At or above 4 pCi/L
- 55.5%
- Median result
- 4.2 pCi/L
Of 173 pre-mitigation tests reported to CDC, not homes in this area. CDC publishes the share in each band, not a count per band, so the per-band counts in the table are calculated by Radon411 and rounded to add up to the published total.
| Result band | Tests Calculated by Radon411 | Share Measured |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 pCi/L | 15 | 8.7% |
| 2 to 4 pCi/L | 62 | 35.8% |
| 4 pCi/L and above | 96 | 55.5% |
Distribution of tested buildings, not this house. People testing before a sale, or because they suspect a problem, are over-represented in any reported testing data.
Measured: CDC tracking data. Figure above: 2023. Measured data period: 2005 to 2023 (every CDC figure on file).
Buffalo County, In figures
Buffalo County in figures
What the published data says about Buffalo County, in words. A zone and a share of tests describe an area, never the level in any one home.
Predicted
PredictedEPA places Buffalo County in Zone 2, moderate predicted potential, as it does 23 other counties of Nebraska's 93.
Of the 8 bordering counties, EPA places Adams County, Kearney County and Phelps County in Zone 1 and Custer County, Dawson County, Hall County, Howard County and Sherman County in Zone 2.
Reported tests
MeasuredCDC has annual figures for Buffalo County for 10 years, 2014 to 2023. In 2023, 55.5% of 173 reported tests were at or above 4 pCi/L.
Across those years the share ranged from 36.1% (2022) to 55.5% (2023). Few tests in a year can move it a long way.
Local record
Nebraska's radon program is the Office of Environmental Health Hazards & Indoor Air, run by Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services; its contacts are under Local resources.
The county's largest incorporated places are Kearney, Gibbon and Ravenna; the figures here cover them as part of the county.
Buffalo County, Reported testing
Reported testing over time
Measured| Year | Median reported result | Highest reported result | Share of tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 4.2 pCi/L | 209.0 pCi/L | 53.1% |
| 2015 | 4.1 pCi/L | 47.0 pCi/L | 52.0% |
| 2016 | 3.8 pCi/L | 33.3 pCi/L | 46.7% |
| 2017 | 3.7 pCi/L | 45.0 pCi/L | 48.2% |
| 2018 | 3.5 pCi/L | 22.5 pCi/L | 42.8% |
| 2019 | 3.5 pCi/L | 23.6 pCi/L | 43.8% |
| 2020 | 3.5 pCi/L | 19.0 pCi/L | 41.1% |
| 2021 | 3.0 pCi/L | 18.2 pCi/L | 37.1% |
| 2022 | 2.7 pCi/L | 16.5 pCi/L | 36.1% |
| 2023 | 4.2 pCi/L | 13.5 pCi/L | 55.5% |
What these figures count
Every percentage here is a share of radon tests reported to CDC for Buffalo County in 2023. It is not a share of homes in Buffalo County, and it is not a random sample: it counts only the tests people chose to run and that were reported.
The shares and the median are calculated from pre-mitigation tests (173 for 2023). CDC also reports the number of buildings tested (190), a different count, so the two totals are not interchangeable.
Buffalo County, Comparison
How Buffalo County compares
MeasuredBuffalo County's own published CDC figures beside those of the counties that border it, for the same period.
Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L
Measured2023, highest first. Each county’s own published CDC figure.
- Sherman CountyNETest count not published100.0%
- Kearney CountyNE24 tests66.7%
- Adams CountyNE155 tests66.5%
- Phelps CountyNE43 tests65.1%
- Buffalo CountyThis page173 tests55.5%
- Custer CountyNE14 tests50.0%
- Howard CountyNE9 tests44.4%
- Dawson CountyNE97 tests18.6%
- Hall CountyNE253 tests17.8%
Median reported result
Measured2023, highest first. Each county’s own published CDC figure.
- Sherman CountyNETest count not published10.8 pCi/L
- Kearney CountyNE24 tests5.4 pCi/L
- Phelps CountyNE43 tests4.9 pCi/L
- Adams CountyNE155 tests4.8 pCi/L
- Buffalo CountyThis page173 tests4.2 pCi/L
- Custer CountyNE14 tests4.0 pCi/L
- Howard CountyNE9 tests3.3 pCi/L
- Dawson CountyNE97 tests2.0 pCi/L
- Hall CountyNE253 tests1.7 pCi/L
Each figure is that county’s own published CDC figure for 2023, counting radon tests reported to CDC, not homes. Buffalo County is this page. Nothing is averaged or combined across counties. The test count beside each county is CDC’s published number of pre-mitigation tests behind its figures. Figures from few tests can swing widely from year to year. Every Nebraska county’s own figure is in the Nebraska county table.
CDC publishes this figure only for counties here, so there is no state or national number to compare Buffalo County, Nebraska with.
Buffalo County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Buffalo County
Calculated by Radon4118 counties share a boundary with Buffalo County, computed from Census county geometry. Radon potential follows geology rather than county lines, so a bordering county’s report can be worth reading alongside this one.
- Sherman CountyNEZone 2: Moderate predicted potential
- Kearney CountyNEZone 1: Highest predicted potential
- Hall CountyNEZone 2: Moderate predicted potential
- Phelps CountyNEZone 1: Highest predicted potential
- Howard CountyNEZone 2: Moderate predicted potential
- Adams CountyNEZone 1: Highest predicted potential
- Dawson CountyNEZone 2: Moderate predicted potential
- Custer CountyNEZone 2: Moderate predicted potential
Buffalo County, Local resources
Local resources in Nebraska
Who to ask in Nebraska: the state's radon program, test kits and professionals.
Office of Environmental Health Hazards & Indoor Air
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
Nebraska’s radon program answers questions about testing, mitigation and the rules where you live.
- Phone
- (402) 471-1005
- Licensing of radon professionals
If radon testing is done in schools, offices, or other places of work, it must be done by a licensed radon measurement business.
Test kits
The program says: Some local programs distribute radon kits for free or a reduced cost.
Radon professionals
12 professionals are listed in Nebraska.
Professionals in NebraskaBuffalo County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Buffalo County
The radon figures on this page are for Buffalo County as a whole. They do not differ by city or town.
- Kearney
- Gibbon
- Ravenna
- Shelton (part)
- Elm Creek
- Pleasanton
- Riverdale
- Amherst
- Miller
9 incorporated places, as listed in the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 place reference files. “(part)” marks a place that extends into another county.
Buffalo County, Questions
Questions about radon in Buffalo County
Common questions8 questions, answered from the figures above
Are radon levels high in Buffalo County?
In 2023, 55.5% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Buffalo County, Nebraska were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 4.2 pCi/L. That is a share of reported tests, not of homes. EPA places Buffalo County in Zone 2, moderate predicted potential, a predicted average indoor screening level 2 to 4 pCi/L. Homes with elevated levels occur in all three zones, so the figures describe the area, not your house. Testing is the only way to know the radon level in a specific building.
How do I get a radon test in Buffalo County?
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. No certified tester listed on Radon411 names Buffalo County as a service area yet. The Nebraska radon program is the place to ask about certified testers and any test kit offer it runs.
How to test a homeTest kits comparedFree and low-cost kits by stateNebraska radon program
Who does radon mitigation in Buffalo County?
No listed mitigator names Buffalo County as a service area yet; the Nebraska directory lists 12 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. Your state radon program is the place to check whether Nebraska requires one.
How radon mitigation worksWhat mitigation costsMitigators in Nebraska
What EPA radon zone is Buffalo County in?
EPA places Buffalo County, Nebraska in Zone 2, which EPA describes as moderate predicted potential for the area. A zone is a prediction for the whole county and never determines whether a particular home should be tested. EPA recommends testing every home regardless of zone.
Should I test my home in Buffalo County?
Yes. 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. How to test a home.
When is the best time of year to test?
EPA says short-term tests stay in the home from 2 to 90 days and that all radon tests should run a minimum of 48 hours; long-term tests stay more than 90 days. EPA's guides do not name a best season: they say radon levels tend to vary from day to day and season to season, so a long-term test is more likely than a short-term test to tell you the year-round average.
What does it cost to test?
EPA's Citizen's Guide calls testing easy and inexpensive, and EPA's Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide says passive short-term and long-term devices are generally inexpensive, while active devices may cost more. No national average price is published for this, so Radon411 does not give one. What testing costs.
Which counties border Buffalo County?
Buffalo County borders 8 counties, derived from Census county geometry. Radon potential follows geology rather than county lines, so a bordering county's report can be relevant.
What these figures mean if you own, buy, sell or rent
The reported-test figures on this page describe Buffalo County, Nebraska in 2023. They describe tests other people carried out in other buildings, and none of them measures yours.
- 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.
Buffalo County, Products
Testing and mitigation products
Whatever the figures for Buffalo County 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.
Buffalo County / 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.