Short-term kit
RA100 short-term liquid scintillation radon test kit
- Lab fee extra
Method: Liquid scintillation
In home: 48 to 96 hours
Locations and reports
Radon Levels in Athens County, Ohio
EPA puts Athens County in Zone 2, its middle radon zone, and 38.1% of its 318 reported radon tests (2008 to 2017, laboratory totals) 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
38.1%
14.2 pts below OH
- Athens
- 38.1%
- Ohio
- 52.3%
318 tests, 2008 to 2017
Median result
3.1pCi/L
Below action level
- Athens
- 3.1 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2008 to 2017
Tests reported
318
47th of 79 by tests
- Athens
- 318
- Franklin
- 16,142
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 Ohio
69 of 79
Lowest quarter
- Athens
- 38.1%
- Pickaway
- 81.4%
By share, of 79 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Athens County
Starts at Athens County's median, 3.1 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 3.1 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. Athens County's median reported result, 2008 to 2017.
The data
Athens County, At a glance
Athens County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 2: moderate predicted potential
Athens 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 Athens County, 2008 to 2017, laboratory
Under 2 pCi/L: 28%2 to 4 pCi/L: 34%4 pCi/L and above: 38%
Of 318 pre-mitigation tests reported to CDC, not homes in this area.
| Result band | Tests Measured | Share Measured |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 pCi/L | 89 | 28.0% |
| 2 to 4 pCi/L | 108 | 34.0% |
| 4 pCi/L and above | 121 | 38.1% |
What these figures count
These are the 318 tests reported to CDC for Athens County over 2008 to 2017 (laboratory totals), 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: 2008 to 2017, laboratory. Measured data period: 2005 to 2017 (every CDC figure on file).
Athens County, Compared
Athens County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411In Athens County, about 4 in 10 reported tests over the 2008 to 2017 laboratory totals (121 of 318) were at or above EPA's action level. Against the national pool of 35.7%, the gap is 2.4 points higher. Across 88 Ohio counties pooled together, 52.3% of tests reached that level, so Athens County runs 14.2 points below its state.
Of 4 neighbours with a figure, 2 reported a larger share at or above 4 pCi/L and 1 a smaller one; the spread is 15.9% (Wood County, WV) to 53.3% (Hocking County). By share, Athens County is 69th of 79 Ohio counties with 30 or more tests for the same period.
Half the tests came in under 3.1 pCi/L and half over it; the single highest reached 33.0 pCi/L. Below the action level, 89 tests (28.0%) came in under 2 pCi/L, against 23.1% statewide, and 108 tests (34.0%) fell between 2 and 4, against 24.6% statewide.
Zone 2 on EPA's map (predicted average between 2 and 4 pCi/L) and a 38.1% share point the same way here. USGS geology rates 100% of the county's land moderate radon potential. CDC also counts 15 tests taken after mitigation in Athens County for the same period: tests in homes where a fix was already in.
CDC's ten-year totals for Athens County went from 244 tests (2005 to 2014) to 318 (2008 to 2017), the share going from 36.1% to 38.1%.
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Athens County, Geology
The ground under Athens County
PredictedUSGS's geologic map puts all of Athens County's mapped land in one class: moderate radon potential. All of it lies in the area the map calls Unglaciated Plateau, to which USGS gives a radon index of 11, in the moderate band (9 to 11).
| Area | The rock, in USGS's words | Potential | Radon index | Share of land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unglaciated Plateau | Mississippian through Permian limestone, dolomite, and shale. | Moderate | 11 | 100% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
Athens County beside the ground around it
Across Ohio 62.8% of the land is rated high; none of Athens County's is. Of the 7 counties that border it, 3 have more high-potential ground, Perry County the most at 58.4%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
Athens County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Athens County
- Radon Education and Licensing ProgramRadon Education and Licensing Program, run by Ohio Department of Health, licenses or certifies radon professionals and offers free or discounted test kits, and answers questions about testing and mitigation in Ohio.Visit the program’s page(opens in a new tab)
- Free and low-cost kitsThe program says:
Free radon test kits are available for Ohio homeowners.
- Compare kits
- Professionals in Ohio479 professionals are listed in Ohio.
What Ohio's program says
- Phone
- 614-728-0272
- indoor.radon@odh.ohio.gov
- Licensing of radon professionals
This program licenses companies and persons directly involved with the radon testing and mitigation industry.
What it means
Athens County, Questions
Questions about radon in Athens County
Are radon levels high in Athens County?
Over the 2008 to 2017 laboratory totals, 38.1% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Athens County, Ohio were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 3.1 pCi/L. Of 79 Ohio counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 68 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 52.3%.
Which counties border Athens County?
Athens County borders 7 counties: Meigs County, OH, Hocking County, OH, Morgan County, OH, Vinton County, OH, Perry County, OH, Washington County, OH and Wood County, WV.
Products
Athens County, Products
Testing a home in Athens County
In Athens County, 38.1% of 318 tests reported to CDC over the 2008 to 2017 laboratory totals reached 4 pCi/L, against 52.3% pooled across Ohio. In Zone 2 a short-term kit (2 to 90 days) is the quick first check in Athens County; a long-term test tells the year-round average.
Test kits and monitors3
See every kit and monitor
Long-term kit
RL116 long-term radon test kit
- Lab fee extra
Method: Alpha track
In home: 90 days to 12 months
MonitorAEGTEST
HOUND-3699 radon monitor with a 2.1-inch touchscreen
- C-NRPP 2024/25: Not included
- Battery
- Alarm
- Screen
First reading: Within 1 hour
- See every kit and monitor Test kits and monitors
Test kits and monitors: 1 of 3
Explore
Athens County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Athens County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Hocking County, OHEPA zone 2
53.3%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 4.0 pCi/L · 60 tests · 15.2 points above Athens County
- Radon levels in Perry County, OHEPA zone 1
48.9%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.8 pCi/L · 90 tests · 10.8 points above Athens County
- Radon levels in Washington County, OHEPA zone 2
38.1%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.1 pCi/L · 349 tests · 0.0 points above Athens County
- Radon levels in Morgan County, OHEPA zone 2
30.0%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.3 pCi/L · 10 tests · 8.1 points below Athens County
- Radon levels in Vinton County, OHEPA zone 2
25.0%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 1.9 pCi/L · 4 tests · 13.1 points below Athens County
- Radon levels in Meigs County, OHEPA zone 2
20.0%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.7 pCi/L · 20 tests · 18.1 points below Athens County
- Radon levels in Wood County, WVEPA zone 2
15.9%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 1.8 pCi/L · 905 tests · 22.2 points below Athens County
Athens County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Athens County
The Census Bureau estimates 63,197 residents in Athens County for July 1, 2025, 811 more than in 2020 (+1.3%). That works out to 125 people per square mile of land. Its largest town, Athens, has 25,313 residents, 40.1% of the total. Reported testing is thin here: 318 tests over 2008 to 2017, or 5.0 for every 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), where Ohio as a whole comes to 8.3.
From Athens to Amesville, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Athens County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athens | 25,313 | +6.3% | 40.1% |
| Nelsonville | 4,488 | −2.3% | 7.1% |
| Glouster | 1,630 | −2.5% | 2.6% |
| Albany | 1,001 | −0.1% | 1.6% |
| Chauncey | 927 | −2.2% | 1.5% |
| Buchtelextends beyond Athens County | 508 | −1.6% | Counted whole |
| Coolville | 444 | −2.4% | 0.7% |
| Jacksonville | 384 | −2.8% | 0.6% |
| Trimble | 325 | −1.2% | 0.5% |
| Amesville | 168 | −1.8% | 0.3% |
10 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 Athens County is counted whole, so it has no share.
Athens County, Homes
Homes in Athens County
Of Athens County's 26,466 homes, 60% are detached houses, against 69% across Ohio; 14% are in buildings of five or more homes. Much of Athens County is recent building: 19% of its homes have gone up since 2000 and the middle year built is 1978, against 1970 for Ohio. 62% of occupied homes are lived in by their owner (Ohio: 67%); in the rest a tenant can run a test, but a fix is the landlord's to make.
| Homes | Athens County | Ohio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 26,466 | 5,271,573 |
| Detached houses | 60% | 69% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 14% | 15% |
| Mobile homes | 13% | 4% |
| Built before 1960 | 32% | 38% |
| Built since 2000 | 19% | 16% |
| Middle year built | 1978 | 1970 |
| Owner-occupied | 62% | 67% |
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.