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 Wilkes County, North Carolina
EPA puts Wilkes County in Zone 2, its middle radon zone, and only 2 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
44.3%
21.7 pts above NC
- Wilkes
- 44.3%
- NC
- 22.6%
402 tests, 2008 to 2017
Median result
3.5pCi/L
Below action level
- Wilkes
- 3.5 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2008 to 2017
Tests reported
402
39th of 75 by tests
- Wilkes
- 402
- 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
3 of 75
Top quarter
- Wilkes
- 44.3%
- Transylvania
- 47.8%
By share, of 75 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Wilkes County
Starts at Wilkes County's median, 3.5 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 3.5 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. Wilkes County's median reported result, 2008 to 2017.
The data
Wilkes County, At a glance
Wilkes County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 2: moderate predicted potential
Wilkes 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 Wilkes County, 2022
| Year | Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 39.5% |
| 2020 | 42.0% |
| 2021 | 41.2% |
| 2022 | 50.0% |
2022: 50.0%. Across these years the share ran from 39.5% to 50.0%. Each column counts radon tests reported to CDC that year, not homes.
What these figures count
Only 2 tests were reported to CDC for Wilkes 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).
Wilkes County, Compared
Wilkes County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411In Wilkes County, about 4 in 10 reported tests over the 2008 to 2017 laboratory totals (178 of 402) were at or above EPA's action level. Against the national pool of 35.7%, the gap is 8.6 points higher. Across 99 North Carolina counties pooled together, 22.6% of tests reached that level, so Wilkes County runs 21.7 points above its state.
The newest figure, in 2022, counts only 2 tests (50.0% at or above 4 pCi/L), too few to compare, so this reading uses the 402-test figure.
Of 8 neighbours with a figure, 1 reported a larger share at or above 4 pCi/L and 7 a smaller one; the spread is 21.8% (Iredell County) to 45.1% (Watauga County). By share, Wilkes County is 3rd of 75 North Carolina counties with 30 or more tests for the same period.
Year by year, 2014 opened at 39.5% and 2021 closed at 41.2% (about level), with 2020 the high at 42.0%. Half the tests came in under 3.5 pCi/L and half over it; the single highest reached 3200.0 pCi/L. Below the action level, 120 tests (29.9%) came in under 2 pCi/L, against 55.6% statewide, and 104 tests (25.9%) 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 44.3% share point the same way here. USGS geology rates 100% of the county's land moderate radon potential. CDC also counts 13 tests taken after mitigation in Wilkes County for the same period: tests in homes where a fix was already in.
The busiest year on file was 2020, with 100 tests reported; the quietest, 2022, had 2.
Wilkes CountyNorth Carolina, pooled
41.2% % of tests14.9% % of tests
| Year | Tests | Wilkes County, at or above 4 pCi/L | North Carolina, pooled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 81 | 39.5% | 21.9% |
| 2020 | 100 | 42.0% | 21.1% |
| 2021 | 34 | 41.2% | 14.9% |
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Wilkes County, Geology
The ground under Wilkes County
PredictedUSGS's geologic map puts all of Wilkes County's mapped land in one class: moderate radon potential. The map puts 56.9% of Wilkes County in the area it calls Blue Ridge and 43.1% 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 | 56.9% |
| Inner Piedmont Belt | Proterozoic through Cambrian biotite gneiss and schist, and mica schist. | Moderate | 11 | 43.1% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
Wilkes County beside the ground around it
Across North Carolina 1.3% of the land is rated high; none of Wilkes County's is. Of the 8 counties that border it, 1 has more high-potential ground, Caldwell County the most at 1.5%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
Wilkes County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Wilkes 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
Wilkes County, Questions
Questions about radon in Wilkes County
Are radon levels high in Wilkes County?
In 2022, 50.0% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Wilkes County, North Carolina were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 3.0 pCi/L. Of 75 North Carolina counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 2 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 22.6%.
Which counties border Wilkes County?
Wilkes County borders 8 counties: Alleghany County, Alexander County, Ashe County, Yadkin County, Caldwell County, Surry County, Watauga County and Iredell County.
Products
Wilkes County, Products
Testing a home in Wilkes County
In Wilkes County, 44.3% of 402 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 Wilkes 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
MonitorAEGTEST
HOUND-3786 rechargeable radon monitor with a 3.5-inch color screen
- C-NRPP 2024/25: Not included
- Battery
- Alarm
- Screen
Method: Ion chamber
First reading: Within 10 minutes
- See every kit and monitor Test kits and monitors
Test kits and monitors: 1 of 3
Explore
Wilkes County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Wilkes County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Watauga CountyEPA zone 1
45.1%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.5 pCi/L · 1,215 tests · 0.8 points above Wilkes County
- Radon levels in Alleghany CountyEPA zone 1
41.1%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.3 pCi/L · 285 tests · 3.2 points below Wilkes County
- Radon levels in Ashe CountyEPA zone 2
34.1%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.5 pCi/L · 681 tests · 10.2 points below Wilkes County
- Radon levels in Surry CountyEPA zone 2
33.3%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.4 pCi/L · 855 tests · 11.0 points below Wilkes County
- Radon levels in Alexander CountyEPA zone 2
32.8%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.5 pCi/L · 311 tests · 11.5 points below Wilkes County
- Radon levels in Yadkin CountyEPA zone 2
28.6%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.2 pCi/L · 199 tests · 15.7 points below Wilkes County
- Radon levels in Caldwell CountyEPA zone 2
27.6%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.5 pCi/L · 861 tests · 16.7 points below Wilkes County
- Radon levels in Iredell CountyEPA zone 2
21.8%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 1.8 pCi/L · 1,146 tests · 22.5 points below Wilkes County
Wilkes County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Wilkes County
The Census Bureau estimates 66,233 residents in Wilkes County for July 1, 2025, 362 more than in 2020 (+0.5%). That works out to 88 people per square mile of land. No town dominates: North Wilkesboro, the largest, has 4,369 residents, 6.6% of the total. CDC's 402 reported tests for 2008 to 2017 work out to 6.1 per 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), close to North Carolina's 6.5.
From North Wilkesboro to Ronda, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Wilkes County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Wilkesboro | 4,369 | −1.2% | 6.6% |
| Elkinextends beyond Wilkes County | 4,130 | +0.2% | Counted whole |
| Wilkesboro | 3,618 | −0.7% | 5.5% |
| Ronda | 447 | +1.4% | 0.7% |
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 Wilkes County is counted whole, so it has no share.
Wilkes County, Homes
Homes in Wilkes County
Of Wilkes County's 31,744 homes, 68% are detached houses, against 65% across North Carolina; 24% are mobile homes. The homes are older than North Carolina's as a whole: half were built before 1980 (1990 for North Carolina), and 20% date from before 1960. 74% 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 | Wilkes County | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 31,744 | 4,815,195 |
| Detached houses | 68% | 65% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 4% | 14% |
| Mobile homes | 24% | 11% |
| Built before 1960 | 20% | 14% |
| Built since 2000 | 16% | 33% |
| Middle year built | 1980 | 1990 |
| Owner-occupied | 74% | 66% |
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.