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 Tioga County, New York
EPA puts Tioga County in Zone 1, its highest radon zone, and only 9 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
39.0%
14.1 pts above NY
- Tioga
- 39.0%
- New York
- 24.9%
1,426 tests, 2007 to 2016
Median result
2.7pCi/L
Below action level
- Tioga
- 2.7 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2007 to 2016
Tests reported
1,426
19th of 61 by tests
- Tioga
- 1,426
- Erie
- 12,998
Reported to CDC before any fix, 2007 to 2016
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
11 of 61
Top quarter
- Tioga
- 39.0%
- Chemung
- 51.7%
By share, of 61 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Tioga County
Starts at Tioga 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. Tioga County's median reported result, 2007 to 2016.
The data
Tioga County, At a glance
Tioga County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 1: highest predicted potential
EPA puts all of Tioga County in
USGS geologic potential: High across 100% of the county's area
Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Measured: tests reported to CDC
Radon tests reported for Tioga County, 2023
| Year | Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 46.2% |
| 2015 | 38.9% |
| 2016 | 31.8% |
| 2017 | 56.3% |
| 2018 | 26.8% |
| 2019 | 24.0% |
| 2020 | 32.4% |
| 2021 | 60.0% |
| 2022 | 100.0% |
| 2023 | 44.4% |
2023: 44.4%. Across these years the share ran from 24.0% to 100.0%. Each column counts radon tests reported to CDC that year, not homes.
What these figures count
Only 9 tests were reported to CDC for Tioga 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).
Tioga County, Compared
Tioga County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411In Tioga County, about 4 in 10 reported tests over the 2007 to 2016 laboratory totals (556 of 1,426) were at or above EPA's action level. Against the national pool of 35.8%, the gap is 3.2 points higher. Across 62 New York counties pooled together, 24.9% of tests reached that level, so Tioga County runs 14.1 points above its state.
The newest figure, in 2023, counts only 9 tests (44.4% at or above 4 pCi/L), too few to compare, so this reading uses the 1,426-test figure.
Of 6 neighbours with a figure, 3 reported a larger share at or above 4 pCi/L and 3 a smaller one; the spread is 25.0% (Broome County) to 51.7% (Chemung County). By share, Tioga County is 11th of 61 New York counties with 30 or more tests for the same period.
Year by year, 2017 opened at 56.3% and 2020 closed at 32.4% (down 23.9 points), with 2017 the high at 56.3%. Half the tests came in under 2.7 pCi/L and half over it; the single highest reached 182.6 pCi/L. Below the action level, 561 tests (39.3%) came in under 2 pCi/L, against 51.6% statewide, and 309 tests (21.7%) fell between 2 and 4, against 23.5% statewide.
Zone 1 on EPA's map (predicted average above 4 pCi/L) and a 39.0% share point the same way here. USGS geology rates 100% of the county's land high radon potential. CDC also counts 15 tests taken after mitigation in Tioga County for the same period: tests in homes where a fix was already in.
The busiest year on file was 2019, with 287 tests reported; the quietest, 2022, had 3.
Tioga CountyNew York, pooled
32.4% % of tests22.7% % of tests
| Year | Tests | Tioga County, at or above 4 pCi/L | New York, pooled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 174 | 56.3% | 31.6% |
| 2018 | 112 | 26.8% | 26.9% |
| 2019 | 287 | 24.0% | 28.0% |
| 2020 | 34 | 32.4% | 22.7% |
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Tioga County, State data
New York's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat New York's own agencies publish about radon tests in Tioga 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 Tioga 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
51.6%
Average result
9.3 pCi/L
Tests behind these figures
67.8 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.
Tioga County, Geology
The ground under Tioga County
PredictedUSGS's geologic map puts all of Tioga County's mapped land in one class: high radon potential. All of it lies in the area the map calls Allegheny Plateau, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegheny Plateau | Shale, limestone, and sandstone. | High | 12 | 99.8% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
Tioga County beside the ground around it
Tioga County has more high-potential ground than New York as a whole: 100% of its land against 48.9%. Of the 6 counties that border it, none has as large a share of high-potential ground; Bradford County, PA comes nearest at 100%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
Tioga County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Tioga 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
Tioga County, Questions
Questions about radon in Tioga County
Are radon levels high in Tioga County?
In 2023, 44.4% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Tioga County, New York were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 2.0 pCi/L. Of 61 New York counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 10 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 24.9%.
Which counties border Tioga County?
Tioga County borders 6 counties: Tompkins County, NY, Broome County, NY, Chemung County, NY, Cortland County, NY, Bradford County, PA and Susquehanna County, PA.
Products
Tioga County, Products
Testing a home in Tioga County
In Tioga County, 39.0% of 1,426 tests reported to CDC over the 2007 to 2016 laboratory totals reached 4 pCi/L, against 24.9% pooled across New York. In Zone 1 the year-round level in Tioga 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
MonitorPYZYCKYH
RD17 plug-in radon detector with a rechargeable battery and color screen
- C-NRPP 2024/25: Not included
- Battery
- Alarm
- Screen
Method: Semiconductor sensor
First reading: Within 6 hours
Short-term kit
PicoCan short-term charcoal canister radon test
- Lab fee included
Method: Charcoal
In home: 48 to 96 hours
- See every kit and monitor Test kits and monitors
Test kits and monitors: 1 of 3
Tioga County is in EPA Zone 1, the highest predicted radon potential. Best radon monitors for Zone 1 counties like Tioga County
Explore
Tioga County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Tioga County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Chemung County, NYEPA zone 1
51.7%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 4.2 pCi/L · 1,493 tests · 12.7 points above Tioga County
- Radon levels in Cortland County, NYEPA zone 1
50.4%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 4.0 pCi/L · 736 tests · 11.4 points above Tioga County
- Radon levels in Bradford County, PAEPA zone 1
49.9%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.9 pCi/L · 497 tests · 10.9 points above Tioga County
- Radon levels in Susquehanna County, PAEPA zone 1
37.9%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.1 pCi/L · 253 tests · 1.1 points below Tioga County
- Radon levels in Tompkins County, NYEPA zone 1
27.6%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.2 pCi/L · 3,333 tests · 11.4 points below Tioga County
- Radon levels in Broome County, NYEPA zone 1
25.0%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 1.8 pCi/L · 6,144 tests · 14.0 points below Tioga County
Tioga County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Tioga County
About 47,453 people live in Tioga County by the Census Bureau's estimate for July 1, 2025, 899 fewer than in 2020 (−1.9%). That works out to 91 people per square mile of land. No town dominates: Owego, the largest, has 4,268 residents, 9.0% of the total. Together its 6 incorporated places hold 23.6% of those residents; the other 76.4% live outside any of them. Testing is reported here more often than across the state: CDC's 1,426 reported tests for 2007 to 2016 come to 30.1 for every 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), against 4.6 for New York.
From Owego to Nichols, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Tioga County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owego | 4,268 | +17.3% | 9.0% |
| Waverly | 4,191 | −4.0% | 8.8% |
| Newark Valley | 888 | −5.2% | 1.9% |
| Candor | 739 | −5.1% | 1.6% |
| Spencer | 688 | −5.0% | 1.4% |
| Nichols | 442 | −5.2% | 0.9% |
6 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).
Tioga County, Homes
Homes in Tioga County
Of Tioga County's 21,966 homes, 69% are detached houses, against 41% across New York; 15% are mobile homes. Much of Tioga County is recent building: 12% of its homes have gone up since 2000 and the middle year built is 1968, against 1958 for New York. Owners live in 78% of the occupied homes (New York: 54%), so for most households a test and a fix are their own to order.
| Homes | Tioga County | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 21,966 | 8,539,536 |
| Detached houses | 69% | 41% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 5% | 34% |
| Mobile homes | 15% | 2% |
| Built before 1960 | 41% | 53% |
| Built since 2000 | 12% | 12% |
| Middle year built | 1968 | 1958 |
| Owner-occupied | 78% | 54% |
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.