Short-term kit
PicoCan short-term charcoal canister radon test
- Lab fee included
Method: Charcoal
In home: 48 to 96 hours
Locations and reports
Radon Levels in Yancey County, North Carolina
EPA puts Yancey County in Zone 2, its middle radon zone, and 32.3% of its 31 reported radon tests (2021) were at or above 4 pCi/L. Homes with elevated levels occur in all three zones, so only a test measures yours.
Data checked By Radon411Methodology
Share at 4+ pCi/L
32.3%
17.4 pts above NC
- Yancey
- 32.3%
- NC
- 14.9%
31 tests, 2021
Median result
1.0pCi/L
Below action level
- Yancey
- 1.0 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2021
Tests reported
31
36th of 36 by tests
- Yancey
- 31
- Buncombe
- 742
Reported to CDC before any fix, 2021
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
4 of 36
Top quarter
- Yancey
- 32.3%
- Ashe
- 48.5%
By share, of 36 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Yancey County
Starts at Yancey County's median, 1.0 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 1.0 pCi/L
Below 2 pCi/L
- Under 20 to 1.9 pCi/L
- 2 to 4consider a fix
- 4 and aboveEPA says fix it
This result is below 2 pCi/L, the level at which EPA says a fix should be considered. Yancey County's median reported result, 2021.
The data
Yancey County, At a glance
Yancey County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 2: moderate predicted potential
Yancey 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 Yancey County, 2021
| Year | Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 28.0% |
| 2020 | 34.1% |
| 2021 | 32.3% |
2021: 32.3%. Across these years the share ran from 28.0% to 34.1%. Each column counts radon tests reported to CDC that year, not homes.
What these figures count
These are the 31 tests reported to CDC for Yancey County over 2021, many from homes being sold or already suspected of a problem: they describe the county's reported tests, not this house.
Measured: CDC tracking data. Figure above: 2021. Measured data period: 2005 to 2021 (every CDC figure on file).
Yancey County, Compared
Yancey County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411In Yancey County, about 3 in 10 reported tests in 2021 (10 of 31) were at or above EPA's action level. Against the national pool of 24.4%, the gap is 7.9 points higher. Across 82 North Carolina counties pooled together, 14.9% of tests reached that level, so Yancey County runs 17.4 points above its state.
Of 2 neighbours with a figure, 1 reported a larger share at or above 4 pCi/L and 1 a smaller one; the spread is 11.1% (Buncombe County) to 35.2% (McDowell County). By share, Yancey County is 4th of 36 North Carolina counties with 30 or more tests for the same period.
Year by year, 2014 opened at 28.0% and 2021 closed at 32.3% (up 4.3 points), with 2020 the high at 34.1%. Half the tests came in under 1.0 pCi/L and half over it; the single highest reached 9.0 pCi/L. Below the action level, 18 tests (58.1%) came in under 2 pCi/L, against 65.1% statewide, and 3 tests (9.7%) fell between 2 and 4, against 20.0% statewide.
Zone 2 on EPA's map (predicted average between 2 and 4 pCi/L) and a 32.3% share point the same way here. USGS geology rates 100% of the county's land moderate radon potential.
The busiest year on file was 2014, with 93 tests reported; the quietest, 2021, had 31.
Yancey CountyNorth Carolina, pooled
32.3% % of tests14.9% % of tests
| Year | Tests | Yancey County, at or above 4 pCi/L | North Carolina, pooled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 93 | 28.0% | 21.9% |
| 2020 | 91 | 34.1% | 21.1% |
| 2021 | 31 | 32.3% | 14.9% |
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Yancey County, Geology
The ground under Yancey County
PredictedUSGS's geologic map puts all of Yancey County's mapped land in one class: moderate radon potential. All of it lies in the area the map calls Blue Ridge, to which USGS gives a radon index of 10, 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 | 99.9% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
Yancey County beside the ground around it
Across North Carolina 1.3% of the land is rated high; none of Yancey County's is. Every one of the 5 counties that border it has more high-potential ground, Unicoi County, TN the most at 64.5%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
Yancey County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Yancey 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
Yancey County, Questions
Questions about radon in Yancey County
Are radon levels high in Yancey County?
In 2021, 32.3% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Yancey County, North Carolina were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 1.0 pCi/L. Of 36 North Carolina counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 3 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 14.9%.
Which counties border Yancey County?
Yancey County borders 5 counties: Mitchell County, NC, McDowell County, NC, Unicoi County, TN, Madison County, NC and Buncombe County, NC.
Products
Yancey County, Products
Testing a home in Yancey County
In Yancey County, 32.3% of 31 tests reported to CDC in 2021 reached 4 pCi/L, against 14.9% pooled across North Carolina. In Zone 2 a short-term kit (2 to 90 days) is the quick first check in Yancey 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
RadonScan-Plus USB-powered radon monitor with Wi-Fi
- C-NRPP 2024/25: Not included
- Plug-in
- Wi-Fi
- Alarm
- Screen, app
First reading: Within 5 minutes
- See every kit and monitor Test kits and monitors
Test kits and monitors: 1 of 3
Explore
Yancey County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Yancey County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in McDowell County, NCEPA zone 2
35.2%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.0 pCi/L · 54 tests · 2.9 points above Yancey County
- Radon levels in Mitchell County, NCEPA zone 1
15.0%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 1.0 pCi/L · 20 tests · 17.3 points below Yancey County
- Radon levels in Buncombe County, NCEPA zone 1
11.1%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 1.0 pCi/L · 742 tests · 21.2 points below Yancey County
- Radon levels in Madison County, NCEPA zone 2
7.4%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 0.1 pCi/L · 27 tests · 24.9 points below Yancey County
- Radon levels in Unicoi County, TNEPA zone 2
No CDC figure for 2021; its page reads it against its own neighbours.
Yancey County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Yancey County
The Census Bureau estimates 19,084 residents in Yancey County for July 1, 2025, 592 more than in 2020 (+3.2%). That works out to 61 people per square mile of land. Burnsville, its one incorporated place, has 1,655 residents, 8.7% of the total. Testing is reported here more often than across the state: CDC's 31 reported tests for 2021 come to 1.6 for every 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), against 0.6 for North Carolina.
Burnsville is the one incorporated place here; CDC publishes no figure by town, so it reads Yancey County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burnsville | 1,655 | +2.7% | 8.7% |
One incorporated place, 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).
Yancey County, Homes
Homes in Yancey County
Of Yancey County's 11,317 homes, 72% are detached houses, against 65% across North Carolina; 20% are mobile homes. Half of its homes were built before 1987, close to North Carolina's 1990: 17% date from before 1960 and 25% from 2000 or later. Owners live in 77% of the occupied homes (North Carolina: 66%), so for most households a test and a fix are their own to order.
| Homes | Yancey County | North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 11,317 | 4,815,195 |
| Detached houses | 72% | 65% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 4% | 14% |
| Mobile homes | 20% | 11% |
| Built before 1960 | 17% | 14% |
| Built since 2000 | 25% | 33% |
| Middle year built | 1987 | 1990 |
| Owner-occupied | 77% | 66% |
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.