Short-term kit
RA400 short-term liquid scintillation radon test kit, lab fee included
- Lab fee included
Method: Liquid scintillation
In home: 48 to 96 hours
Locations and reports
Radon Levels in Surry County, North Carolina
EPA puts Surry County in Zone 2, its middle radon zone, and only 14 radon tests from it are on file with CDC (2022). Homes with elevated levels occur in all three zones, so only a test measures yours.
Data checked By Radon411Methodology
Share at 4+ pCi/L
33.3%
10.7 pts above NC
- Surry
- 33.3%
- NC
- 22.6%
855 tests, 2008 to 2017
Median result
2.4pCi/L
Below action level
- Surry
- 2.4 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2008 to 2017
Tests reported
855
21st of 75 by tests
- Surry
- 855
- Wake
- 9,694
Reported to CDC before any fix, 2008 to 2017
EPA radon zone
Zone 2
Moderate potential
- 1
- Zone 2
- 3
1 highest, 3 lowest
EPA predicts 2 to 4 pCi/L indoors
Rank in NC
17 of 75
Top quarter
- Surry
- 33.3%
- Transylvania
- 47.8%
By share, of 75 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Surry County
Starts at Surry County's median, 2.4 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 2.4 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. Surry County's median reported result, 2008 to 2017.
The data
Surry County, At a glance
Surry County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 2: moderate predicted potential
Surry County is a
USGS geologic potential: Moderate across 100% of the county's area
Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Measured: tests reported to CDC
Radon tests reported for Surry County, 2022
| Year | Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 28.4% |
| 2020 | 34.9% |
| 2021 | 16.2% |
| 2022 | 28.6% |
2022: 28.6%. Across these years the share ran from 16.2% to 34.9%. Each column counts radon tests reported to CDC that year, not homes.
What these figures count
Only 14 tests were reported to CDC for Surry County over 2022, 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: 2022. Measured data period: 2005 to 2022 (every CDC figure on file).
Surry County, Compared
Surry County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411In Surry County, about 3 in 10 reported tests over the 2008 to 2017 laboratory totals (285 of 855) were at or above EPA's action level. Against the national pool of 35.7%, the gap is 2.4 points lower. Across 99 North Carolina counties pooled together, 22.6% of tests reached that level, so Surry County runs 10.7 points above its state.
The newest figure, in 2022, counts only 14 tests (28.6% at or above 4 pCi/L), too few to compare, so this reading uses the 855-test figure.
Of 8 neighbours with a figure, 5 reported a larger share at or above 4 pCi/L and 3 a smaller one; the spread is 21.6% (Stokes County) to 61.8% (Carroll County, VA). By share, Surry County is 17th of 75 North Carolina counties with 30 or more tests for the same period.
Year by year, 2014 opened at 28.4% and 2021 closed at 16.2% (down 12.2 points), with 2020 the high at 34.9%. Half the tests came in under 2.4 pCi/L and half over it; the single highest reached 57.2 pCi/L. Below the action level, 351 tests (41.1%) came in under 2 pCi/L, against 55.6% statewide, and 219 tests (25.6%) fell between 2 and 4, against 21.8% statewide.
Zone 2 on EPA's map (predicted average between 2 and 4 pCi/L) and a 33.3% share point the same way here. USGS geology rates 100% of the county's land moderate radon potential. CDC also counts 18 tests taken after mitigation in Surry County for the same period: tests in homes where a fix was already in.
The busiest year on file was 2014, with 141 tests reported; the quietest, 2022, had 14.
Surry CountyNorth Carolina, pooled
| Year | Tests | Surry County, at or above 4 pCi/L | North Carolina, pooled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 141 | 28.4% | 21.9% |
| 2020 | 129 | 34.9% | 21.1% |
| 2021 | 99 | 16.2% | 14.9% |
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Surry County, Geology
The ground under Surry County
PredictedUSGS's geologic map puts all of Surry County's mapped land in one class: moderate radon potential. The map puts 54.9% of Surry County in the area it calls Blue Ridge and 45.1% in Inner Piedmont Belt. USGS gives the first a radon index of 10 and the second 11, both in the moderate band (9 to 11).
| Area | The rock, in USGS's words | Potential | Radon index | Share of land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Ridge | Granite, pegmatite, monazite, schist, and gneiss. | Moderate | 10 | 54.9% |
| Inner Piedmont Belt | Proterozoic through Cambrian biotite gneiss and schist, and mica schist. | Moderate | 11 | 45.1% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
Surry County beside the ground around it
Across North Carolina 1.3% of the land is rated high; none of Surry County's is. Of the 8 counties that border it, 4 have more high-potential ground, Patrick County, VA the most at 44.3%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
Surry County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Surry County
- North Carolina Radon ProgramNorth Carolina Radon Program, run by NCDHHS, answers questions about testing, mitigation and the rules in North Carolina.Visit the program’s page(opens in a new tab)
- Free and low-cost kitsAsk the program whether it has free or discounted kits, or compare kits you can buy.
- Compare kits
- Professionals in North Carolina2 professionals are listed in North Carolina.
What North Carolina's program says
- 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 .
What it means
Surry County, Questions
Questions about radon in Surry County
Are radon levels high in Surry County?
In 2022, 28.6% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Surry County, North Carolina were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 2.5 pCi/L. Of 75 North Carolina counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 16 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 22.6%.
Which counties border Surry County?
Surry County borders 8 counties: Yadkin County, NC, Stokes County, NC, Alleghany County, NC, Carroll County, VA, Wilkes County, NC, Forsyth County, NC, Patrick County, VA and Grayson County, VA.
Products
Surry County, Products
Testing a home in Surry County
In Surry County, 33.3% of 855 tests reported to CDC over the 2008 to 2017 laboratory totals reached 4 pCi/L, against 22.6% pooled across North Carolina. In Zone 2 a short-term kit (2 to 90 days) is the quick first check in Surry County; a long-term test tells the year-round average.
Test kits and monitors3
See every kit and monitor
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
Monitor
Hello Radon C battery radon monitor with an e-ink screen
- C-NRPP 2024/25: Not included
- Battery
- Screen
Method: Alpha spectrometry
First reading: Within 24 hours
- See every kit and monitor Test kits and monitors
Test kits and monitors: 1 of 3
Explore
Surry County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Surry County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Carroll County, VAEPA zone 2
61.8%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 5.0 pCi/L · 89 tests · 28.5 points above Surry County
- Radon levels in Patrick County, VAEPA zone 1
54.7%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 5.3 pCi/L · 53 tests · 21.4 points above Surry County
- Radon levels in Grayson County, VAEPA zone 2
44.7%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.8 pCi/L · 47 tests · 11.4 points above Surry County
- Radon levels in Wilkes County, NCEPA zone 2
44.3%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.5 pCi/L · 402 tests · 11.0 points above Surry County
- Radon levels in Alleghany County, NCEPA zone 1
41.1%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.3 pCi/L · 285 tests · 7.8 points above Surry County
- Radon levels in Forsyth County, NCEPA zone 2
28.9%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.3 pCi/L · 6,273 tests · 4.4 points below Surry County
- Radon levels in Yadkin County, NCEPA zone 2
28.6%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.2 pCi/L · 199 tests · 4.7 points below Surry County
- Radon levels in Stokes County, NCEPA zone 2
21.6%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 1.8 pCi/L · 592 tests · 11.7 points below Surry County
Surry County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Surry County
The Census Bureau estimates 72,287 residents in Surry County for July 1, 2025, 901 more than in 2020 (+1.3%). That works out to 136 people per square mile of land. No town dominates: Mount Airy, the largest, has 10,682 residents, 14.8% of the total. Testing is reported here more often than across the state: CDC's 855 reported tests for 2008 to 2017 come to 11.8 for every 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), against 6.5 for North Carolina.
From Mount Airy to Pilot Mountain, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Surry County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Airy | 10,682 | +0.2% | 14.8% |
| Elkinextends beyond Surry County | 4,130 | +0.2% | Counted whole |
| Dobson | 1,474 | +0.7% | 2.0% |
| Pilot Mountain | 1,437 | +0.2% | 2.0% |
4 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). A place that extends beyond Surry County is counted whole, so it has no share.
Surry County, Homes
Homes in Surry County
Of Surry County's 33,609 homes, 66% are detached houses, against 65% across North Carolina; 23% are mobile homes. The homes are older than North Carolina's as a whole: half were built before 1980 (1990 for North Carolina), and 23% date from before 1960. 73% of occupied homes are lived in by their owner (North Carolina: 66%); in the rest a tenant can run a test, but a fix is the landlord's to make.
| Homes | Surry County | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 33,609 | 4,815,195 |
| Detached houses | 66% | 65% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 5% | 14% |
| Mobile homes | 23% | 11% |
| Built before 1960 | 23% | 14% |
| Built since 2000 | 17% | 33% |
| Middle year built | 1980 | 1990 |
| Owner-occupied | 73% | 66% |
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.