Locations and reports
Radon Levels in Onondaga County, New York
What this means for you
- Your area: EPA rates Onondaga County Zone 1, the highest 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 224 radon tests reported to CDC for Onondaga County (2023), 32.6% 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, 32.6% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Onondaga County, New York came back at or above the EPA action level of 4 pCi/L, and the median result was 2.5 pCi/L. EPA's Map of Radon Zones places the county in Zone 1, highest predicted potential. Radon levels vary from home to home, so only a test measures the level in yours.
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 1: highest predicted potential
EPA predicts an average indoor of greater than 4 pCi/L (greater than 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: Low across 54% of the county's land area
Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Measured: tests reported to CDC
Radon tests reported for Onondaga County, 2023
- Tests reported
- 224
- At or above 4 pCi/L
- 32.6%
- Median result
- 2.5 pCi/L
Of 224 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 | 86 | 38.4% |
| 2 to 4 pCi/L | 65 | 29.0% |
| 4 pCi/L and above | 73 | 32.6% |
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).
Onondaga County, In figures
Onondaga County in figures
What the published data says about Onondaga County, in words. A zone and a share of tests describe an area, never the level in any one home.
Predicted
PredictedEPA places Onondaga County in Zone 1, highest predicted potential, as it does 33 other counties of New York's 62.
Of the 4 bordering counties, EPA places Cayuga County, Cortland County and Madison County in Zone 1 and Oswego County in Zone 2.
Reported tests
MeasuredCDC has annual figures for Onondaga County for 10 years, 2014 to 2023. In 2023, 32.6% of 224 reported tests were at or above 4 pCi/L.
Across those years the share ranged from 25.0% (2021) to 45.1% (2017). Few tests in a year can move it a long way.
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.
The county's largest incorporated places are Syracuse, Baldwinsville and North Syracuse; the figures here cover them as part of the county.
Onondaga 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 | 2.7 pCi/L | 83.8 pCi/L | 34.8% |
| 2015 | 3.1 pCi/L | 63.2 pCi/L | 42.3% |
| 2016 | 2.8 pCi/L | 86.5 pCi/L | 39.6% |
| 2017 | 3.3 pCi/L | 69.4 pCi/L | 45.1% |
| 2018 | 3.0 pCi/L | 56.5 pCi/L | 42.5% |
| 2019 | 2.5 pCi/L | 274.6 pCi/L | 43.9% |
| 2020 | 2.5 pCi/L | 74.2 pCi/L | 27.2% |
| 2021 | 2.3 pCi/L | 28.4 pCi/L | 25.0% |
| 2022 | 2.0 pCi/L | 23.8 pCi/L | 26.3% |
| 2023 | 2.5 pCi/L | 236.3 pCi/L | 32.6% |
What these figures count
Every percentage here is a share of radon tests reported to CDC for Onondaga County in 2023. It is not a share of homes in Onondaga 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 (224 for 2023). CDC also reports the number of buildings tested (218), a different count, so the two totals are not interchangeable.
Onondaga County, State data
New York's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat New York's own agencies publish about radon tests in Onondaga County, with their period. These are not CDC's figures and are never added to them.
What the New York State Department of Health reports for Onondaga 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
41.4%
Average result
6.1 pCi/L
Tests behind these figures
245.2 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.
Onondaga County, Comparison
How Onondaga County compares
MeasuredOnondaga 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.
- Madison CountyNYTest count not published62.5%
- Cortland CountyNY122 tests54.9%
- Onondaga CountyThis page224 tests32.6%
- Cayuga CountyNY26 tests19.2%
Published for 2023 without this measure: Oswego County, NY.
Median reported result
Measured2023, highest first. Each county’s own published CDC figure.
- Madison CountyNYTest count not published6.2 pCi/L
- Cortland CountyNY122 tests4.6 pCi/L
- Onondaga CountyThis page224 tests2.5 pCi/L
- Oswego CountyNYTest count not published2.0 pCi/L
- Cayuga CountyNY26 tests1.9 pCi/L
Each figure is that county’s own published CDC figure for 2023, counting radon tests reported to CDC, not homes. Onondaga 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 New York county’s own figure is in the New York county table.
CDC publishes this figure only for counties here, so there is no state or national number to compare Onondaga County, New York with.
Onondaga County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Onondaga County
Calculated by Radon4114 counties share a boundary with Onondaga 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.
Onondaga County, 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 YorkOnondaga County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Onondaga County
The radon figures on this page are for Onondaga County as a whole. They do not differ by city or town.
- Baldwinsville
- North Syracuse
- Solvay
- Manlius
- Fayetteville
- Minoa
- East Syracuse
- Skaneateles
- Liverpool
- Marcellus
- Camillus
- Jordan
- Elbridge
- Tully
- Fabius
16 incorporated places, as listed in the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 place reference files.
Onondaga County, Questions
Questions about radon in Onondaga County
Common questions8 questions, answered from the figures above
How do I get a radon test in Onondaga 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 Onondaga County as a service area yet. The New York 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 stateNew York radon program
Are radon levels high in Onondaga County?
In 2023, 32.6% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Onondaga County, New York were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 2.5 pCi/L. That is a share of reported tests, not of homes. EPA places Onondaga County in Zone 1, highest predicted potential, a predicted average indoor screening level greater than 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.
Who does radon mitigation in Onondaga County?
No listed mitigator names Onondaga County as a service area yet; the New York 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 New York requires one.
How radon mitigation worksWhat mitigation costsMitigators in New York
What EPA radon zone is Onondaga County in?
EPA places Onondaga County, New York in Zone 1, which EPA describes as highest 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 Onondaga 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 Onondaga County?
Onondaga County borders 4 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 Onondaga County, New York 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.
Onondaga County, Products
Testing and mitigation products
Whatever the figures for Onondaga 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.
Onondaga 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.