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 Forest County, Pennsylvania
EPA puts Forest County in Zone 2, its middle radon zone, and only 16 radon tests from it are on file with CDC (2020). Homes with elevated levels occur in all three zones, so only a test measures yours.
Data checked By Radon411Methodology
Share at 4+ pCi/L
44.7%
3.0 pts above PA
- Forest
- 44.7%
- PA
- 41.7%
38 tests, 2008 to 2017
Median result
3.6pCi/L
Below action level
- Forest
- 3.6 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2008 to 2017
Tests reported
38
67th of 67 by tests
- Forest
- 38
- Allegheny
- 19,423
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 PA
42 of 67
Middle half
- Forest
- 44.7%
- Fulton
- 69.7%
By share, of 67 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Forest County
Starts at Forest County's median, 3.6 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 3.6 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. Forest County's median reported result, 2008 to 2017.
The data
Forest County, At a glance
Forest County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 2: moderate predicted potential
Forest County is a
USGS geologic potential: Moderate across 73% of the county's area
Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Measured: tests reported to CDC
Radon tests reported for Forest County, 2020
| Year | Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 50.0% |
| 2015 | 43.8% |
| 2016 | 50.0% |
| 2017 | 80.0% |
| 2018 | 50.0% |
| 2019 | 23.5% |
| 2020 | 56.3% |
2020: 56.3%. Across these years the share ran from 23.5% to 80.0%. Each column counts radon tests reported to CDC that year, not homes.
What these figures count
Only 16 tests were reported to CDC for Forest County over 2020, 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: 2020. Measured data period: 2005 to 2020 (every CDC figure on file).
Forest County, Compared
Forest County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411In Forest County, about 4 in 10 reported tests over the 2008 to 2017 laboratory totals (17 of 38) were at or above EPA's action level. Against the national pool of 35.7%, the gap is 9.0 points higher. Across 67 Pennsylvania counties pooled together, 41.7% of tests reached that level, so Forest County runs 3.0 points above its state.
The newest figure, in 2020, counts only 16 tests (56.3% at or above 4 pCi/L), too few to compare, so this reading uses the 38-test figure.
Of 5 neighbours with a figure, all 5 reported a larger share at or above 4 pCi/L; the spread is 47.8% (Clarion County) to 57.7% (Jefferson County). By share, Forest County is 42nd of 67 Pennsylvania counties with 30 or more tests for the same period.
Half the tests came in under 3.6 pCi/L and half over it; the single highest reached 405.2 pCi/L. Below the action level, 8 tests (21.1%) came in under 2 pCi/L, against 35.2% statewide, and 13 tests (34.2%) fell between 2 and 4, against 23.0% statewide.
Zone 2 on EPA's map (predicted average between 2 and 4 pCi/L) and a 44.7% share point the same way here. USGS geology rates 73% of the county's land moderate radon potential.
The busiest year on file was 2019, with 17 tests reported; the quietest, 2018, had 8.
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Forest County, State data
Pennsylvania's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat Pennsylvania's own agencies publish about radon tests in Forest 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 Forest County
Pennsylvania DEP publishes its figures by ZIP code, not by county. These are the 11 ZIP codes that lie wholly or partly in Forest County, each with the state's own figures for it. Period: Period not stated by DEP.
| ZIP code | What the state reports |
|---|---|
| 15828 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 16217 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 16239 | Basement: average 11.7 pCi/L, 55 tests; First floor: average 3.5 pCi/L, 32 tests |
| 16260 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 16321 | Basement: figures not shown |
| 16322 | Basement: figures not shown |
| 16341 | Basement: average 8.6 pCi/L, 54 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 16347 | Basement: average 5.3 pCi/L, 42 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 16351 | Basement: average 6.2 pCi/L, 33 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 16353 | Basement: average 15.8 pCi/L, 98 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 16370 | First floor: figures not shown |
- 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.
Forest County, Geology
The ground under Forest County
PredictedUSGS's geologic map splits Forest County: 73.4% of its land is moderate radon potential and 26.6% high. The map puts 73.4% of Forest County in the area it calls High Plateau and 26.6% in Pennsylvanian Rocks of the Pittsburgh Low Plateau. USGS gives the first a radon index of 10, in the moderate band (9 to 11), and the second 14, in the high band (12 to 17).
| Area | The rock, in USGS's words | Potential | Radon index | Share of land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Plateau | Marine and continental Devonian-Pennsylvanian shale, sandstone, limestone, siltstone, and coal. | Moderate | 10 | 73.4% |
| Pennsylvanian Rocks of the Pittsburgh Low Plateau | Pennsylvanian marine shale, siltstone, sandstone, limestone, and coal. | High | 14 | 26.6% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
Forest County beside the ground around it
Pennsylvania as a whole has more high-potential ground than Forest County: 70.4% of its land, against 26.6% here. Of the 5 counties that border it, 4 have more high-potential ground, Clarion County the most at 98.0%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
Forest County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Forest 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
Forest County, Questions
Questions about radon in Forest County
Are radon levels high in Forest County?
In 2020, 56.3% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Forest County, Pennsylvania were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 5.0 pCi/L. Of 67 Pennsylvania counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 41 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 41.7%.
Which counties border Forest County?
Forest County borders 5 counties: Warren County, Clarion County, Elk County, Venango County and Jefferson County.
Products
Forest County, Products
Testing a home in Forest County
In Forest County, 44.7% of 38 tests reported to CDC over the 2008 to 2017 laboratory totals reached 4 pCi/L, against 41.7% pooled across Pennsylvania. In Zone 2 a short-term kit (2 to 90 days) is the quick first check in Forest 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
Forest County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Forest County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Jefferson CountyEPA zone 2
57.7%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 4.9 pCi/L · 525 tests · 13.0 points above Forest County
- Radon levels in Warren CountyEPA zone 2
54.6%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 4.4 pCi/L · 412 tests · 9.9 points above Forest County
- Radon levels in Elk CountyEPA zone 2
49.5%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.9 pCi/L · 372 tests · 4.8 points above Forest County
- Radon levels in Venango CountyEPA zone 1
48.4%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.8 pCi/L · 803 tests · 3.7 points above Forest County
- Radon levels in Clarion CountyEPA zone 1
47.8%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.8 pCi/L · 650 tests · 3.1 points above Forest County
Forest County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Forest County
Forest County has been losing residents: from 6,972 in 2020 to 6,614 on July 1, 2025, a fall of 5.1% by the Census Bureau's estimates. That works out to 15 people per square mile of land. Tionesta, its one incorporated place, has 399 residents, 6.0% of the total. Reported testing is thin here: 38 tests over 2008 to 2017, or 5.7 for every 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), where Pennsylvania as a whole comes to 15.5.
Tionesta is the one incorporated place here; CDC publishes no figure by town, so it reads Forest County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tionesta | 399 | −6.3% | 6.0% |
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).
Forest County, Homes
Homes in Forest County
Forest County is a place of houses on their own lots: 82% of its 6,969 homes are detached single-family houses, against 57% across Pennsylvania. Half of its homes were built before 1971, close to Pennsylvania's 1965: 34% date from before 1960 and 12% 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 | Forest County | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 6,969 | 5,779,663 |
| Detached houses | 82% | 57% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 2% | 13% |
| Mobile homes | 15% | 4% |
| Built before 1960 | 34% | 45% |
| Built since 2000 | 12% | 14% |
| Middle year built | 1971 | 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.