Long-term kit
RL116 long-term radon test kit
- Lab fee extra
Method: Alpha track
In home: 90 days to 12 months
Locations and reports
Radon Levels in Columbia County, New York
EPA puts Columbia County in Zone 1, its highest radon zone, and only 7 radon tests from it are on file with CDC (2023). Homes with elevated levels occur in all three zones, so only a test measures yours.
Data checked By Radon411Methodology
Share at 4+ pCi/L
39.8%
15.3 pts above NY
- Columbia
- 39.8%
- New York
- 24.5%
573 tests, 2008 to 2017
Median result
2.7pCi/L
Below action level
- Columbia
- 2.7 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2008 to 2017
Tests reported
573
38th of 61 by tests
- Columbia
- 573
- Erie
- 13,822
Reported to CDC before any fix, 2008 to 2017
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
9 of 61
Top quarter
- Columbia
- 39.8%
- Chemung
- 52.3%
By share, of 61 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Columbia County
Starts at Columbia County's median, 2.7 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 2.7 pCi/L
Between 2 and 4 pCi/L
- Under 20 to 1.9 pCi/L
- 2 to 4consider a fix
- 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. Columbia County's median reported result, 2008 to 2017.
The data
Columbia County, At a glance
Columbia County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 1: highest predicted potential
EPA puts all of Columbia County in
USGS geologic potential: High across 99% of the county's area
Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Measured: tests reported to CDC
Radon tests reported for Columbia County, 2023
| Year | Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 9.7% |
| 2015 | 50.0% |
| 2016 | 55.6% |
| 2017 | 5.6% |
| 2018 | 39.7% |
| 2019 | 53.5% |
| 2020 | 26.9% |
| 2021 | 9.1% |
| 2022 | 50.0% |
| 2023 | 0.0% |
2023: 0.0%. Across these years the share ran from 0.0% to 55.6%. Each column counts radon tests reported to CDC that year, not homes.
What these figures count
Only 7 tests were reported to CDC for Columbia County over 2023, and tests are often run on homes being sold or already suspected of a problem: so few describe neither the county nor this house.
Measured: CDC tracking data. Figure above: 2023. Measured data period: 2005 to 2023 (every CDC figure on file).
Columbia County, Compared
Columbia County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411In Columbia County, about 4 in 10 reported tests over the 2008 to 2017 laboratory totals (228 of 573) were at or above EPA's action level. Against the national pool of 35.7%, the gap is 4.1 points higher. Across 62 New York counties pooled together, 24.5% of tests reached that level, so Columbia County runs 15.3 points above its state.
The newest figure, in 2023, counts only 7 tests (0.0% at or above 4 pCi/L), too few to compare, so this reading uses the 573-test figure.
Of 6 neighbours with a figure, 1 reported a larger share at or above 4 pCi/L and 5 a smaller one; the spread is 15.7% (Albany County) to 40.8% (Dutchess County). By share, Columbia County is 9th of 61 New York counties with 30 or more tests for the same period.
Year by year, 2014 opened at 9.7% and 2022 closed at 50.0% (up 40.3 points), with 2019 the high at 53.5%. Half the tests came in under 2.7 pCi/L and half over it; the single highest reached 43.3 pCi/L. Below the action level, 235 tests (41.0%) came in under 2 pCi/L, against 51.7% statewide, and 110 tests (19.2%) fell between 2 and 4, against 23.7% statewide.
Zone 1 on EPA's map (predicted average above 4 pCi/L) and a 39.8% share point the same way here. USGS geology rates 99% of the county's land high radon potential. CDC also counts 22 tests taken after mitigation in Columbia County for the same period: tests in homes where a fix was already in.
The busiest year on file was 2014, with 113 tests reported; the quietest, 2023, had 7.
Columbia CountyNew York, pooled
50.0% % of tests22.4% % of tests
| Year | Tests | Columbia County, at or above 4 pCi/L | New York, pooled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 113 | 9.7% | 16.6% |
| 2017 | 54 | 5.6% | 31.6% |
| 2018 | 63 | 39.7% | 26.9% |
| 2019 | 43 | 53.5% | 28.0% |
| 2022 | 36 | 50.0% | 22.4% |
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Columbia County, State data
New York's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat New York's own agencies publish about radon tests in Columbia 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 Columbia 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
42.8%
Average result
5.2 pCi/L
Tests behind these figures
34.6 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.
Columbia County, Geology
The ground under Columbia County
PredictedMost of the ground under Columbia County is one class on USGS's geologic map: 99.4% of its land is high radon potential, with 0.6% moderate. 99.4% of it lies in the area the map calls New England-Taconic Mountains, to which USGS gives a radon index of 12, in the high band (12 to 17).
| Area | The rock, in USGS's words | Potential | Radon index | Share of land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New England-Taconic Mountains | Slate, phyllite, graywacke, and limestone. | High | 12 | 99.4% |
| Taconic Mountains-Stockbridge Valley | Carbonate sedimentary, metasedimentary, and metavolcanic rocks. | Moderate | 11 | 0.6% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
Columbia County beside the ground around it
Columbia County has more high-potential ground than New York as a whole: 99.4% of its land against 48.9%. Of the 6 counties that border it, 3 have more high-potential ground, Greene County the most at 100%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
Columbia County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Columbia 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.
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
Columbia County, Questions
Questions about radon in Columbia County
Are radon levels high in Columbia County?
In 2023, 0.0% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Columbia County, New York were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 1.3 pCi/L. Of 61 New York counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 8 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 24.5%.
Which counties border Columbia County?
Columbia County borders 6 counties: Greene County, NY, Berkshire County, MA, Albany County, NY, Dutchess County, NY, Rensselaer County, NY and Ulster County, NY.
Products
Columbia County, Products
Testing a home in Columbia County
In Columbia County, 39.8% of 573 tests reported to CDC over the 2008 to 2017 laboratory totals reached 4 pCi/L, against 24.5% pooled across New York. In Zone 1 the year-round level in Columbia 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
lüft plug-in radon and indoor air quality monitor
- C-NRPP 2024/25: Approved
- Plug-in
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
- App only
First reading: Within 90 minutes
Short-term kitempowerDX
Standard Radon Test short-term mail-in radon test kit
- Lab fee included
Method: Passive sampler
In home: 48 to 96 hours
- See every kit and monitor Test kits and monitors
Test kits and monitors: 1 of 3
Columbia County is in EPA Zone 1, the highest predicted radon potential. Best radon monitors for Zone 1 counties like Columbia County
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Columbia County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Columbia County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Dutchess County, NYEPA zone 1
40.8%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.0 pCi/L · 2,133 tests · 1.0 points above Columbia County
- Radon levels in Ulster County, NYEPA zone 1
29.8%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.2 pCi/L · 3,594 tests · 10.0 points below Columbia County
- Radon levels in Rensselaer County, NYEPA zone 1
29.5%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.1 pCi/L · 1,577 tests · 10.3 points below Columbia County
- Radon levels in Greene County, NYEPA zone 1
27.6%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.0 pCi/L · 525 tests · 12.2 points below Columbia County
- Radon levels in Berkshire County, MAEPA zone 2
27.1%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 1.7 pCi/L · 1,097 tests · 12.7 points below Columbia County
- Radon levels in Albany County, NYEPA zone 1
15.7%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 1.4 pCi/L · 2,740 tests · 24.1 points below Columbia County
Columbia County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Columbia County
About 60,168 people live in Columbia County by the Census Bureau's estimate for July 1, 2025, 1,300 fewer than in 2020 (−2.1%). That works out to 95 people per square mile of land. No town dominates: Hudson, the largest, has 5,721 residents, 9.5% of the total. Together its 5 incorporated places hold 19.2% of those residents; the other 80.8% live outside any of them. Testing is reported here more often than across the state: CDC's 573 reported tests for 2008 to 2017 come to 9.5 for every 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), against 4.9 for New York.
From Hudson to Kinderhook, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Columbia County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hudson | 5,721 | −3.4% | 9.5% |
| Valatie | 1,705 | +2.6% | 2.8% |
| Chatham | 1,538 | −4.4% | 2.6% |
| Philmont | 1,466 | −3.6% | 2.4% |
| Kinderhook | 1,134 | −3.3% | 1.9% |
5 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).
Columbia County, Homes
Homes in Columbia County
Of Columbia County's 33,331 homes, 73% are detached houses, against 41% across New York; 8% are mobile homes. Half of its homes were built before 1965, close to New York's 1958: 45% date from before 1960 and 14% from 2000 or later. Owners live in 75% of the occupied homes (New York: 54%), so for most households a test and a fix are their own to order.
| Homes | Columbia County | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 33,331 | 8,539,536 |
| Detached houses | 73% | 41% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 6% | 34% |
| Mobile homes | 8% | 2% |
| Built before 1960 | 45% | 53% |
| Built since 2000 | 14% | 12% |
| Middle year built | 1965 | 1958 |
| Owner-occupied | 75% | 54% |
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.