Locations and reports
Radon Levels in New York
What this means for you
- Your area: EPA rates 34 of New York's 62 classified counties Zone 1, the highest of its three radon zones. Zones are predictions for whole counties, and homes with elevated levels occur in all three zones.
- Local tests: CDC publishes New York's radon test results by county. Open your county below to see its figures.
- 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.
For New York, EPA's Map of Radon Zones places 34 of its 62 classified counties in Zone 1, highest predicted potential, a prediction for each county as a whole. Radon levels vary from home to home, so only a test measures the level in yours.
Predicted: EPA radon zone
62 of 62 counties classified
EPA classifies counties, not states. Of the 62 counties in New York with a zone, 34 are in Zone 1, 13 in Zone 2 and 15 in Zone 3.
- Zone 1: Highest predicted potentialgreater than 4 pCi/L34 of 62 counties · 54.8%
- Zone 2: Moderate predicted potential2 to 4 pCi/L13 of 62 counties · 21.0%
- Zone 3: Lower predicted potentialless than 2 pCi/L15 of 62 counties · 24.2%
An EPA radon zone describes predicted potential across a whole county. It is not intended to determine whether any individual home should be tested, and homes with elevated levels occur in all three zones. EPA recommends testing every home regardless of zone, and testing is the only way to know the radon level in a specific building.
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.
Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Measured: tests reported to CDC
CDC publishes New York's radon test figures by county: 62 of its 62 counties have one. Each county's share is in the county list.
New York, In figures
New York in figures
What the published data says about New York, in words. A zone and a share of tests describe an area, never the level in any one home.
Predicted
PredictedEPA places 34 of New York's 62 counties in Zone 1, 13 in Zone 2 and 15 in Zone 3.
Zone 1 counties, A to Z, begin with Albany County, Allegany County and Broome County; the county section below lists all 34.
Compared
Calculated by Radon41155% of New York's counties with a zone on file are in Zone 1, a larger share than across all U.S. counties (34%). It is a share of counties, not of land, people or homes.
Reported tests
MeasuredCDC has no statewide testing figure for New York on file here.
62 of the 62 counties have a published county figure; the most tests in each one's latest year were reported for Onondaga County (218 in 2023), Genesee County (145 in 2023) and Cortland County (105 in 2023).
Local record
New York's radon program is the Radon Program, run by New York State Department of Health; its contacts are under Local resources.
6 cities have a page setting the figures of the counties it lies in side by side: Syracuse, Binghamton, Rochester, Ithaca, Buffalo and Lewiston.
New York, State data
New York's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat New York's own agencies publish about radon tests, with their publisher and period. These are not CDC's figures and are never added to them.
What the New York State Department of Health reports for New York
Indoor air radon testing data (Environmental Public Health Tracker): short-term charcoal canister tests requested through the NYSDOH Radon Program, presented as five-year rolling averages. Period: 2015-2019. The publisher also lists 15 earlier periods.
Share at or above 4 pCi/L
30.5%
Average result
5.1 pCi/L
Tests behind these figures
2,585.8 tests a year on average
- Every figure is a five-year rolling average: the average result is the rolling average of each year's mean, and the test count is an average per year.
- The data only include tests requested through the NYSDOH Radon Program, and therefore may not capture all radon tests performed in a county.
- The data include both screening tests and post-mitigation tests, as it is not always possible to tell them apart.
- Radon testing by homeowners is optional in New York, so the values may not be representative of every home in the county.
- These figures describe tests reported to the New York State Department of Health in this area. They count a different set of tests than CDC's figures and are not a reading of any one home.
Measured: New York State Department of Health data, 2015-2019.
New York, Counties
New York counties by EPA zone
PredictedAll 62 counties, by the zone EPA predicts for each. Every county has its own report.
Zone 1: highest predicted potential34
- Albany County16.7% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Allegany County100.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Broome County25.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Cattaraugus County100.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Cayuga County19.2% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Chautauqua County50.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Chemung County100.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Chenango County100.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Columbia CountyReported testing not yet available
- Cortland County54.9% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Delaware County23.1% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Dutchess County45.5% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Erie County26.3% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Genesee County46.7% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Greene CountyReported testing not yet available
- Livingston County33.3% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Madison County62.5% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Onondaga County32.6% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Ontario County28.6% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Orange County66.7% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Otsego County26.3% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Putnam County22.2% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Rensselaer County26.3% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Schoharie County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Schuyler CountyReported testing not yet available
- Seneca CountyReported testing not yet available
- Steuben County60.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Sullivan CountyReported testing not yet available
- Tioga County44.4% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Tompkins County38.9% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Ulster County16.7% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Washington County50.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Wyoming County20.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Yates County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
Zone 2: moderate predicted potential13
- Clinton County25.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Jefferson County40.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Lewis County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Monroe County10.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Montgomery County50.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Niagara County11.1% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Oneida County25.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Orleans County25.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Oswego CountyReported testing not yet available
- Saratoga County23.5% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Schenectady CountyReported testing not yet available
- St. Lawrence CountyReported testing not yet available
- Wayne County33.3% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
Zone 3: lower predicted potential15
- Bronx CountyReported testing not yet available
- Essex CountyReported testing not yet available
- Franklin CountyReported testing not yet available
- Fulton County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2020
- Hamilton County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2018
- Herkimer County50.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Kings CountyReported testing not yet available
- Nassau CountyReported testing not yet available
- New York CountyReported testing not yet available
- Queens County9.1% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Richmond CountyReported testing not yet available
- Rockland CountyReported testing not yet available
- Suffolk CountyReported testing not yet available
- Warren County50.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
- Westchester County5.6% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
New York, Cities
Cities in New York with their own page
Radon data is published by county, not by city. Each city page sets the figures of the counties the city lies in side by side.
New York, Local resources
Local resources in New York
Who to ask in New York: the state's radon program, test kits and professionals.
Radon Program
New York State Department of Health
New York’s radon program answers questions about testing, mitigation and the rules where you live.
- Phone
- 518-402-7556
- radon@health.ny.gov
- Licensing of radon professionals
NYS does not certify or license radon testers.
Test kits
The program says: Providing patients with information about how low-cost test kits may be obtained from the Radon Program.
Radon professionals
12 professionals are listed in New York.
Professionals in New YorkNew York, Questions
Questions about radon in New York
Common questions9 questions, answered from the figures above
Is radon a problem in New York?
EPA's Map of Radon Zones places 34 of the 62 New York counties it classifies in Zone 1, the highest predicted potential, 13 in Zone 2 and 15 in Zone 3. An EPA radon zone describes predicted potential across a whole county. It is not intended to determine whether any individual home should be tested, and homes with elevated levels occur in all three zones. EPA recommends testing every home regardless of zone, and testing is the only way to know the radon level in a specific building.
How do I get a radon test in New York?
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. The New York radon program is the place to ask about certified testers and any test kit offer it runs.
How to test a homeFree and low-cost kits by stateNew York radon program
Which New York counties are in EPA radon Zone 1?
34 counties are in Zone 1: Albany County, Allegany County, Broome County, Cattaraugus County, Cayuga County, Chautauqua County, Chemung County, Chenango County, and 26 more in the county table on this page. Zone 1 is EPA's class for highest predicted potential, a predicted average indoor screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. A zone is a prediction for a county, not a measurement of any home.
Radon in Albany CountyRadon in Allegany CountyRadon in Broome County
Who does radon mitigation in New York?
Radon411's New York directory lists 12 certified radon 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.
How radon mitigation worksWhat mitigation costsRadon professionals in New York
Which New York counties have the highest radon?
62 of New York's 62 counties have an EPA radon zone published here. Radon411 will not rank counties on data it does not hold, and a zone is a prediction for an area rather than a measurement of any building.
What share of radon tests in New York are high?
CDC has published no statewide radon testing statistics for New York, so we cannot give a figure. Where CDC does publish one, the percentage describes radon tests reported to CDC, not homes.
Which EPA region is New York in?
New York is in EPA Region 2: New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Do I need to test my home in New York?
Yes, wherever you live in the state. 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.
Why does this page show coverage rather than one radon level for New York?
A statewide figure averages counties with very different geology and very different numbers of reported tests, so it hides more than it shows. The county report is the level at which the EPA zone, the geologic potential and the reported testing statistics are actually published, which is why the county table above links to every one of them.
What these figures mean if you own, buy, sell or rent
The zone counts on this page describe counties across New York. They are predictions for areas, and none of them measures your building.
- 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.
New York, Products
Testing and mitigation products
Whatever the figures for New York 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.
New York / 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.