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
Locations and reports
Radon Levels in Albany County, New York
EPA puts Albany County in Zone 1, its highest radon zone, and 16.7% of its 66 reported radon tests (2023) 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
Share at 4+ pCi/L
16.7%
15.3 pts below NY
- Albany
- 16.7%
- New York
- 32.0%
66 tests, 2023
Median result
1.2pCi/L
Below action level
- Albany
- 1.2 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2023
Tests reported
66
4th of 6 by tests
- Albany
- 66
- Onondaga
- 224
Reported to CDC before any fix, 2023
EPA radon zone
Zone 1
Highest potential
- Zone 1
- 2
- 3
1 highest, 3 lowest
EPA predicts over 4 pCi/L indoors
Rank in New York
5 of 6
Middle half
- Albany
- 16.7%
- Cortland
- 54.9%
By share, of 6 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Albany County
Starts at Albany County's median, 1.2 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 1.2 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. Albany County's median reported result, 2023.
The data
Albany County, At a glance
Albany County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 1: highest predicted potential
EPA puts all of Albany County in
USGS geologic potential: High across 57% of the county's area
Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Measured: tests reported to CDC
Radon tests reported for Albany County, 2023
| Year | Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 21.2% |
| 2015 | 20.5% |
| 2016 | 19.9% |
| 2017 | 31.5% |
| 2018 | 24.9% |
| 2019 | 23.1% |
| 2020 | 8.3% |
| 2021 | 6.5% |
| 2022 | 10.5% |
| 2023 | 16.7% |
2023: 16.7%. Across these years the share ran from 6.5% to 31.5%. Each column counts radon tests reported to CDC that year, not homes.
What these figures count
These are the 66 tests reported to CDC for Albany County over 2023, 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: 2023. Measured data period: 2005 to 2023 (every CDC figure on file).
Albany County, Compared
Albany County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411Albany County's 66 reported tests in 2023 had a middle value of 1.2 pCi/L and a maximum of 11.8 pCi/L, and 16.7% reached 4 pCi/L. New York as a whole (56 New York counties, pooled) comes to 32.0%: 15.3 points higher than here.
Among its state's counties it ranks 5th of 6 New York counties with 30 or more tests for the same period. Statewide for the same period, Cortland County reported the highest share (54.9%) and Monroe County the lowest (10.0%).
Below the action level, 43 tests (65.2%) came in under 2 pCi/L, against 44.7% statewide, and 12 tests (18.2%) fell between 2 and 4, against 23.3% statewide. The busiest year on file was 2016, with 1,030 tests reported; the quietest, 2022, had 57.
EPA's 1993 zone map puts Albany County in Zone 1, a predicted county average above 4 pCi/L. USGS geology rates 57% of the county's land high radon potential.
Over 10 years of annual figures the share fell 4.5 points, from 21.2% in 2014 to 16.7% in 2023; its peak was 31.5% in 2017.
Albany CountyNew York, pooled
16.7% % of tests32.0% % of tests
| Year | Tests | Albany County, at or above 4 pCi/L | New York, pooled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 132 | 21.2% | 16.6% |
| 2015 | 122 | 20.5% | 21.4% |
| 2016 | 1,030 | 19.9% | 20.4% |
| 2017 | 216 | 31.5% | 31.6% |
| 2018 | 181 | 24.9% | 26.9% |
| 2019 | 156 | 23.1% | 28.0% |
| 2020 | 240 | 8.3% | 22.7% |
| 2021 | 92 | 6.5% | 18.9% |
| 2022 | 57 | 10.5% | 22.4% |
| 2023 | 66 | 16.7% | 32.0% |
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Albany County, State data
New York's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat New York's own agencies publish about radon tests in Albany County, with their period. These are not CDC's figures and are never added to them.
MeasuredState figures, not CDC's
What the New York State Department of Health reports for Albany County
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
23.1%
Average result
4.1 pCi/L
Tests behind these figures
150.6 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.
Albany County, Geology
The ground under Albany County
PredictedUSGS's geologic map splits Albany County: 57.2% of its land is high radon potential and 42.8% moderate. The map puts 49.3% of Albany County in the area it calls Allegheny Plateau and 42.8% in Hudson-Mohawk Lowland, with one smaller area beside them. USGS gives the first a radon index of 12, in the high band (12 to 17), and the second 11, in the moderate band (9 to 11).
| Area | The rock, in USGS's words | Potential | Radon index | Share of land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegheny Plateau | Shale, limestone, and sandstone. | High | 12 | 49.3% |
| Hudson-Mohawk Lowland | Sandstone, siltstone, shale, and conglomerates. | Moderate | 11 | 42.8% |
| New England-Taconic Mountains | Slate, phyllite, graywacke, and limestone. | High | 12 | 7.9% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
Albany County beside the ground around it
On high-potential ground Albany County is close to New York as a whole: 57.2% of its land against 48.9%. Of the 6 counties that border it, 4 have more high-potential ground, Greene County the most at 100%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
Albany County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Albany County
Listed radon businesses with an address in Albany County:
- Radon ProgramRadon Program, run by New York State Department of Health, does not license radon professionals and offers free or discounted test kits, and answers questions about testing and mitigation in New York.Visit the program’s page(opens in a new tab)
- Free and low-cost kitsThe program says:
Providing patients with information about how low-cost test kits may be obtained from the Radon Program.
- Compare kits
- Professionals in New York88 professionals are listed in New York.
Listed radon professionals by town: Albany, Voorheesville
What New York's program says
- Phone
- 518-402-7556
- radon@health.ny.gov
- Licensing of radon professionals
NYS does not certify or license radon testers.
What it means
Albany County, Questions
Questions about radon in Albany County
Are radon levels high in Albany County?
In 2023, 16.7% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Albany County, New York were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 1.2 pCi/L. Of 6 New York counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 4 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 32.0%.
Which counties border Albany County?
Albany County borders 6 counties: Schenectady County, Schoharie County, Greene County, Rensselaer County, Columbia County and Saratoga County.
Products
Albany County, Products
Testing a home in Albany County
In Albany County, 16.7% of 66 tests reported to CDC in 2023 reached 4 pCi/L, against 32.0% pooled across New York. In Zone 1 the year-round level in Albany County is the one to know: a long-term test (more than 90 days) or a monitor, with a short-term kit for a first answer.
Test kits and monitors3
See every kit and monitor
Monitor
View Radon Wi-Fi radon monitor with an e-paper display
- C-NRPP 2024/25: Approved
- Battery
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
- Screen, app
Method: Alpha spectrometry
Readings: Every 60 minutes
Short-term kit
Radon Short Term Test Kit short-term charcoal radon test kit, lab fee included
- Lab fee included
Method: Charcoal
In home: 2 to 7 days
- See every kit and monitor Test kits and monitors
Test kits and monitors: 1 of 3
Albany County is in EPA Zone 1, the highest predicted radon potential. Best radon monitors for Zone 1 counties like Albany County
Explore
Albany County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Albany County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Rensselaer CountyEPA zone 1
26.3%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 1.9 pCi/L · 19 tests · 9.6 points above Albany County
- Radon levels in Saratoga CountyEPA zone 2
23.5%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 1.5 pCi/L · 17 tests · 6.8 points above Albany County
- Radon levels in Schenectady CountyEPA zone 2
0.0%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.5 pCi/L · 3 tests · 16.7 points below Albany County
- Radon levels in Greene CountyEPA zone 1
0.0%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 1.6 pCi/L · 10 tests · 16.7 points below Albany County
- Radon levels in Columbia CountyEPA zone 1
0.0%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 1.3 pCi/L · 7 tests · 16.7 points below Albany County
- Radon levels in Schoharie CountyEPA zone 1
No CDC figure for 2023; its page reads it against its own neighbours.
Albany County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Albany County
The Census Bureau estimates 321,225 residents in Albany County for July 1, 2025, 6,932 more than in 2020 (+2.2%). That works out to 614 people per square mile of land. Its largest town, Albany, has 101,698 residents, 31.7% of the total. Together its 9 incorporated places hold 47.8% of those residents; the other 52.2% live outside any of them. Testing is reported here more often than across the state: CDC's 66 reported tests for 2023 come to 0.2 for every 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), against 0.1 for New York.
From Albany to Altamont, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Albany County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany | 101,698 | +2.9% | 31.7% |
| Cohoes | 18,518 | +2.2% | 5.8% |
| Watervliet | 10,242 | −1.1% | 3.2% |
| Colonie | 7,679 | −1.1% | 2.4% |
| Menands | 4,615 | +1.7% | 1.4% |
| Ravena | 3,253 | −0.4% | 1.0% |
| Green Island | 2,966 | −0.5% | 0.9% |
| Voorheesville | 2,846 | +0.2% | 0.9% |
| Altamont | 1,648 | −0.7% | 0.5% |
9 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).
Albany County, Homes
Homes in Albany County
Fewer than six in ten of Albany County's 146,959 homes are detached houses (49%, against 41% across New York); the rest are attached, in shared buildings or mobile. Half of its homes were built before 1964, close to New York's 1958: 46% date from before 1960 and 12% from 2000 or later. 57% of occupied homes are lived in by their owner (New York: 54%); in the rest a tenant can run a test, but a fix is the landlord's to make.
| Homes | Albany County | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 146,959 | 8,539,536 |
| Detached houses | 49% | 41% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 21% | 34% |
| Mobile homes | 1% | 2% |
| Built before 1960 | 46% | 53% |
| Built since 2000 | 12% | 12% |
| Middle year built | 1964 | 1958 |
| Owner-occupied | 57% | 54% |
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.