Long-term kit
RL116 long-term radon test kit
- Lab fee extra
Method: Alpha track
In home: 90 days to 12 months
Locations and reports
Radon Levels in Carbon County, Pennsylvania
EPA puts Carbon County in Zone 1, its highest radon zone, and high results are common there: 40.6% of the 438 radon tests reported to CDC (2020) came back 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
40.6%
10.3 pts above PA
- Carbon
- 40.6%
- PA
- 30.3%
438 tests, 2020
Median result
3.0pCi/L
Below action level
- Carbon
- 3.0 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2020
Tests reported
438
30th of 63 by tests
- Carbon
- 438
- Montgomery
- 10,508
Reported to CDC before any fix, 2020
EPA radon zone
Zone 1
Highest potential
- Zone 1
- 2
- 3
1 highest, 3 lowest
EPA predicts over 4 pCi/L indoors
Rank in PA
30 of 63
Middle half
- Carbon
- 40.6%
- Perry
- 57.7%
By share, of 63 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Carbon County
Starts at Carbon County's median, 3.0 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 3.0 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. Carbon County's median reported result, 2020.
The data
Carbon County, At a glance
Carbon County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 1: highest predicted potential
EPA puts all of Carbon County in
USGS geologic potential: High across 86% of the county's area
Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Measured: tests reported to CDC
Radon tests reported for Carbon County, 2020
| Year | Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 48.5% |
| 2015 | 49.9% |
| 2016 | 49.5% |
| 2017 | 51.9% |
| 2018 | 41.6% |
| 2019 | 42.0% |
| 2020 | 40.6% |
2020: 40.6%. Across these years the share ran from 40.6% to 51.9%. Each column counts radon tests reported to CDC that year, not homes.
What these figures count
These are the 438 tests reported to CDC for Carbon County over 2020, 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: 2020. Measured data period: 2005 to 2020 (every CDC figure on file).
Carbon County, Compared
Carbon County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411In Carbon County, about 4 in 10 reported tests in 2020 (178 of 438) were at or above EPA's action level. Against the national pool of 25.5%, the gap is 15.1 points higher. Across 67 Pennsylvania counties pooled together, 30.3% of tests reached that level, so Carbon County runs 10.3 points above its state.
Of 5 neighbours with a figure, 2 reported a larger share at or above 4 pCi/L and 3 a smaller one; the spread is 28.2% (Luzerne County) to 53.5% (Schuylkill County). By share, Carbon County is 30th of 63 Pennsylvania counties with 30 or more tests for the same period.
Year by year, 2014 opened at 48.5% and 2020 closed at 40.6% (down 7.9 points), with 2017 the high at 51.9%. Half the tests came in under 3.0 pCi/L and half over it; the single highest reached 268.1 pCi/L. Below the action level, 155 tests (35.4%) came in under 2 pCi/L, against 44.3% statewide, and 105 tests (24.0%) fell between 2 and 4, against 25.4% statewide.
Zone 1 on EPA's map (predicted average above 4 pCi/L) and a 40.6% share point the same way here. USGS geology rates 86% of the county's land high radon potential.
The busiest year on file was 2016, with 580 tests reported; the quietest, 2014, had 262.
Carbon CountyPennsylvania, pooled
40.6% % of tests30.3% % of tests
| Year | Tests | Carbon County, at or above 4 pCi/L | Pennsylvania, pooled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 262 | 48.5% | 36.1% |
| 2015 | 425 | 49.9% | 37.8% |
| 2016 | 580 | 49.5% | 34.4% |
| 2017 | 547 | 51.9% | 35.1% |
| 2018 | 563 | 41.6% | 30.5% |
| 2019 | 421 | 42.0% | 31.4% |
| 2020 | 438 | 40.6% | 30.3% |
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Carbon County, State data
Pennsylvania's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat Pennsylvania's own agencies publish about radon tests in Carbon County, with their period. These are not CDC's figures and are never added to them.
MeasuredState figures, not CDC's
What Pennsylvania DEP reports for the ZIP codes in Carbon County
Pennsylvania DEP publishes its figures by ZIP code, not by county. These are the 21 ZIP codes that lie wholly or partly in Carbon County, each with the state's own figures for it. Period: Period not stated by DEP.
| ZIP code | What the state reports |
|---|---|
| 18012 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 18030 | Basement: average 12.1 pCi/L, 35 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 18058 | Basement: average 18.1 pCi/L, 1,466 tests; First floor: average 9.3 pCi/L, 242 tests |
| 18071 | Basement: average 17.4 pCi/L, 984 tests; First floor: average 10.9 pCi/L, 107 tests |
| 18201 | Basement: average 3.2 pCi/L, 1,973 tests; First floor: average 1.3 pCi/L, 293 tests |
| 18210 | Basement: average 6.9 pCi/L, 1,295 tests; First floor: average 2.4 pCi/L, 705 tests |
| 18211 | Basement: average 25.8 pCi/L, 157 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 18212 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 18216 | Basement: average 3.8 pCi/L, 43 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 18229 | Basement: average 9.3 pCi/L, 1,459 tests; First floor: average 3.8 pCi/L, 340 tests |
| 18230 | Basement: figures not shown |
| 18232 | Basement: average 3.8 pCi/L, 136 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 18235 | Basement: average 16.4 pCi/L, 2,218 tests; First floor: average 7.1 pCi/L, 247 tests |
| 18237 | Basement: average 7.0 pCi/L, 275 tests; First floor: average 2.4 pCi/L, 64 tests |
| 18240 | Basement: average 5.6 pCi/L, 331 tests; First floor: average 3.0 pCi/L, 58 tests |
| 18244 | Basement: figures not shown |
| 18250 | Basement: average 6.8 pCi/L, 202 tests; First floor: average 2.4 pCi/L, 48 tests |
| 18254 | Basement: average 2.9 pCi/L, 38 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 18255 | Basement: average 13.4 pCi/L, 633 tests; First floor: average 5.6 pCi/L, 107 tests |
| 18624 | Basement: average 4.8 pCi/L, 404 tests; First floor: average 2.9 pCi/L, 308 tests |
| 18661 | Basement: average 5.5 pCi/L, 845 tests; First floor: average 2.5 pCi/L, 194 tests |
- DEP's report gives the number of tests, the highest result and the average result for each floor tested; it states no period.
- DEP says the smartest thing to do is to test your home for radon, no matter where you live.
- A ZIP code that crosses the county line is listed whole; its figures cover all of it.
Measured: Pennsylvania DEP data, Period not stated by DEP.
Carbon County, Geology
The ground under Carbon County
PredictedMost of the ground under Carbon County is one class on USGS's geologic map: 85.8% of its land is high radon potential, with 14.2% moderate. The map puts 85.8% of Carbon County in the area it calls Appalachian Mountain Section and 14.2% in Glaciated Low Plateau East and Pocono Plateau. USGS gives the first a radon index of 12, in the high band (12 to 17), and the second 10, in the moderate band (9 to 11).
| Area | The rock, in USGS's words | Potential | Radon index | Share of land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian Mountain Section | Paleozoic sandstone, shale, and limestone. | High | 12 | 85.8% |
| Glaciated Low Plateau East and Pocono Plateau | Moderately thick glacial till overlying sandstone, siltstone, mudstone, and shale. | Moderate | 10 | 14.2% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
Carbon County beside the ground around it
Carbon County has more high-potential ground than Pennsylvania as a whole: 85.8% of its land against 70.4%. Of the 5 counties that border it, 4 have more high-potential ground, Lehigh County the most at 100%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
Carbon County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Carbon County
- Radon DivisionRadon Division, run by Department of Environmental Protection, licenses or certifies radon professionals and offers free or discounted test kits, and answers questions about testing and mitigation in Pennsylvania.Visit the program’s page(opens in a new tab)
- Free and low-cost kitsThe program says:
Through an EPA-funded program, hospitals give parents of newborn children a packet of information which includes a coupon for a free radon test kit from the DEP.
- Compare kits
- Professionals in Pennsylvania151 professionals are listed in Pennsylvania.
What Pennsylvania's program says
- Phone
- 800-237-2366
- Licensing of radon professionals
The Radon Certification Act requires DEP to establish by regulation, a certification program for persons conducting radon gas and radon progeny testing, laboratory analysis and mitigation of radon contamination in buildings.
What it means
Carbon County, Questions
Questions about radon in Carbon County
Are radon levels high in Carbon County?
In 2020, 40.6% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Carbon County, Pennsylvania were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 3.0 pCi/L. Of 63 Pennsylvania counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 29 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 30.3%.
Which counties border Carbon County?
Carbon County borders 5 counties: Luzerne County, Northampton County, Monroe County, Lehigh County and Schuylkill County.
Products
Carbon County, Products
Testing a home in Carbon County
In Carbon County, 40.6% of 438 tests reported to CDC in 2020 reached 4 pCi/L, against 30.3% pooled across Pennsylvania. In Zone 1 the year-round level in Carbon County is the one to know: a long-term test (more than 90 days) or a monitor, with a short-term kit for a first answer.
Test kits and monitors3
See every kit and monitor
Monitor
EcoQube Flex battery digital radon monitor with an e-ink screen
- C-NRPP 2024/25: Not included
- Battery
- Bluetooth
- Alarm
- Screen, app
Method: Ion chamber
First reading: Within 15 minutes
Short-term kit
PicoCan short-term charcoal canister radon test
- Lab fee included
Method: Charcoal
In home: 48 to 96 hours
- See every kit and monitor Test kits and monitors
Test kits and monitors: 1 of 3
Carbon County is in EPA Zone 1, the highest predicted radon potential. Best radon monitors for Zone 1 counties like Carbon County
Explore
Carbon County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Carbon County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Schuylkill CountyEPA zone 1
53.5%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 4.5 pCi/L · 797 tests · 12.9 points above Carbon County
- Radon levels in Northampton CountyEPA zone 1
41.3%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.9 pCi/L · 3,434 tests · 0.7 points above Carbon County
- Radon levels in Lehigh CountyEPA zone 1
39.8%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.7 pCi/L · 3,103 tests · 0.8 points below Carbon County
- Radon levels in Monroe CountyEPA zone 1
30.7%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.1 pCi/L · 1,649 tests · 9.9 points below Carbon County
- Radon levels in Luzerne CountyEPA zone 1
28.2%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.0 pCi/L · 991 tests · 12.4 points below Carbon County
Carbon County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Carbon County
The Census Bureau estimates 65,868 residents in Carbon County for July 1, 2025, 1,103 more than in 2020 (+1.7%). That works out to 173 people per square mile of land. No town dominates: Palmerton, the largest, has 5,615 residents, 8.5% of the total. Together its 12 incorporated places hold 47.7% of those residents; the other 52.3% live outside any of them. CDC's 438 reported tests for 2020 work out to 6.6 per 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), close to Pennsylvania's 7.2.
From Palmerton to East Side, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Carbon County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmerton | 5,615 | +0.4% | 8.5% |
| Lehighton | 5,232 | −0.2% | 7.9% |
| Jim Thorpe | 4,531 | +0.6% | 6.9% |
| Lansford | 4,123 | −0.4% | 6.3% |
| Nesquehoning | 3,336 | −0.1% | 5.1% |
| Summit Hill | 3,133 | +0.4% | 4.8% |
| Weatherly | 2,546 | Level | 3.9% |
| Bowmanstown | 895 | +1.0% | 1.4% |
| Beaver Meadows | 889 | −0.3% | 1.3% |
| Weissport | 418 | −0.5% | 0.6% |
| Parryville | 417 | Level | 0.6% |
| East Side | 257 | +4.0% | 0.4% |
12 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).
Carbon County, Homes
Homes in Carbon County
Of Carbon County's 34,299 homes, 69% are detached houses, against 57% across Pennsylvania; 5% are in buildings of five or more homes. Half of its homes were built before 1972, close to Pennsylvania's 1965: 41% date from before 1960 and 15% from 2000 or later. Owners live in 77% of the occupied homes (Pennsylvania: 69%), so for most households a test and a fix are their own to order.
| Homes | Carbon County | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 34,299 | 5,779,663 |
| Detached houses | 69% | 57% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 5% | 13% |
| Mobile homes | 4% | 4% |
| Built before 1960 | 41% | 45% |
| Built since 2000 | 15% | 14% |
| Middle year built | 1972 | 1965 |
| Owner-occupied | 77% | 69% |
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.