Locations and reports
Radon Levels in North Carolina
What this means for you
- Your area: EPA rates 8 of North Carolina's 100 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 North Carolina'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 North Carolina, EPA's Map of Radon Zones places 8 of its 100 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
100 of 100 counties classified
EPA classifies counties, not states. Of the 100 counties in North Carolina with a zone, 8 are in Zone 1, 31 in Zone 2 and 61 in Zone 3.
- Zone 1: Highest predicted potentialgreater than 4 pCi/L8 of 100 counties · 8.0%
- Zone 2: Moderate predicted potential2 to 4 pCi/L31 of 100 counties · 31.0%
- Zone 3: Lower predicted potentialless than 2 pCi/L61 of 100 counties · 61.0%
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 North Carolina's radon test figures by county: 100 of its 100 counties have one. Each county's share is in the county list.
North Carolina, In figures
North Carolina in figures
What the published data says about North Carolina, in words. A zone and a share of tests describe an area, never the level in any one home.
Predicted
PredictedEPA places 8 of North Carolina's 100 counties in Zone 1, 31 in Zone 2 and 61 in Zone 3.
Zone 1 counties, A to Z, begin with Alleghany County, Buncombe County and Cherokee County; the county section below lists all 8.
Compared
Calculated by Radon4118% of North Carolina's counties with a zone on file are in Zone 1, a smaller 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 North Carolina on file here.
100 of the 100 counties have a published county figure; the most tests in each one's latest year were reported for Buncombe County (33 in 2022), McDowell County (28 in 2021) and Clay County (22 in 2021).
Local record
North Carolina's radon program is the North Carolina Radon Program, run by NCDHHS; its contacts are under Local resources.
6 cities have a page setting the figures of the counties it lies in side by side: Raleigh, Asheville, Charlotte, Hendersonville, Boone and Greensboro.
North Carolina, Counties
North Carolina counties by EPA zone
PredictedAll 100 counties, by the zone EPA predicts for each. Every county has its own report.
Zone 1: highest predicted potential8
- Alleghany County66.7% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Buncombe County38.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Cherokee County60.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Henderson County40.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Mitchell County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Rockingham County33.3% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Transylvania County5.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Watauga County100.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
Zone 2: moderate predicted potential31
- Alexander County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Ashe County100.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Avery County32.1% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2021
- Burke County16.7% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Caldwell County50.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Caswell County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2021
- Catawba County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Clay County26.1% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2021
- Cleveland County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Forsyth County23.5% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Franklin County9.1% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2021
- Gaston County20.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Graham County12.5% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2021
- Haywood County5.6% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Iredell County50.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Jackson County33.3% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Lincoln County100.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Macon County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Madison County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- McDowell County35.2% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2021
- Polk County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Rutherford County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Stokes County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Surry County28.6% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Swain County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Vance County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2021
- Wake County2.3% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Warren County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2021
- Wilkes County50.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Yadkin County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Yancey County32.3% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2021
Zone 3: lower predicted potential61
- Alamance County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Anson County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2020
- Beaufort County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2020
- Bertie County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2020
- Bladen County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2021
- Brunswick County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2021
- Cabarrus County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Camden County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2021
- Carteret County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2021
- Chatham County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Chowan County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Columbus County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2020
- Craven County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Cumberland County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Currituck County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2020
- Dare County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2021
- Davidson County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Davie County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Duplin County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2020
- Durham County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Edgecombe County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2021
- Gates County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Granville County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Greene County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2020
- Guilford County15.4% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Halifax County7.1% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2021
- Harnett County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Hertford County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Hoke County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2021
- Hyde County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2021
- Johnston County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Jones County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2021
- Lee County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Lenoir County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2021
- Martin County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2020
- Mecklenburg County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Montgomery County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Moore County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Nash County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- New Hanover County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Northampton County100.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Onslow County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2020
- Orange County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Pamlico County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2021
- Pasquotank County37.5% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Pender County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2020
- Perquimans County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Person County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2021
- Pitt County0.9% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Randolph County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Richmond County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2021
- Robeson County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Rowan County75.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Sampson County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2020
- Scotland County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2021
- Stanly County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Tyrrell County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Union County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Washington County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2020
- Wayne County1.5% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2022
- Wilson County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2021
North Carolina, Cities
Cities in North Carolina 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.
North Carolina, Local resources
Local resources in North Carolina
Who to ask in North Carolina: the state's radon program, test kits and professionals.
North Carolina Radon Program
NCDHHS
North Carolina’s radon program answers questions about testing, mitigation and the rules where you live.
- Licensing of radon professionals
The North Carolina Radon Program is presently developing a Radon Proficiency Program as directed by Session Law 2023-91 House Bill 782 .
Test kits
Ask the program whether it has free or discounted kits, or compare kits you can buy.
Radon professionals
1 professional is listed in North Carolina.
Professionals in North CarolinaNorth Carolina, Questions
Questions about radon in North Carolina
Common questions9 questions, answered from the figures above
Is radon a problem in North Carolina?
EPA's Map of Radon Zones places 8 of the 100 North Carolina counties it classifies in Zone 1, the highest predicted potential, 31 in Zone 2 and 61 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 North Carolina?
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 North Carolina 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 stateNorth Carolina radon program
Which North Carolina counties are in EPA radon Zone 1?
8 counties are in Zone 1: Alleghany County, Buncombe County, Cherokee County, Henderson County, Mitchell County, Rockingham County, Transylvania County, Watauga County. 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 Alleghany CountyRadon in Buncombe CountyRadon in Cherokee County
Who does radon mitigation in North Carolina?
Radon411's North Carolina directory lists 1 certified radon company. 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 North Carolina
Which North Carolina counties have the highest radon?
100 of North Carolina's 100 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 North Carolina are high?
CDC has published no statewide radon testing statistics for North Carolina, 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 North Carolina in?
North Carolina is in EPA Region 4: Southeast.
Do I need to test my home in North Carolina?
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 North Carolina?
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 North Carolina. 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.
North Carolina, Products
Testing and mitigation products
Whatever the figures for North Carolina 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.
North Carolina / 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.