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 Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania
EPA puts Lackawanna County in Zone 1, its highest radon zone, and 27.1% of its 776 reported radon tests (2020) 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
27.1%
3.2 pts below PA
- Lackawanna
- 27.1%
- PA
- 30.3%
776 tests, 2020
Median result
2.1pCi/L
Below action level
- Lackawanna
- 2.1 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2020
Tests reported
776
26th of 63 by tests
- Lackawanna
- 776
- 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
54 of 63
Lowest quarter
- Lackawanna
- 27.1%
- Perry
- 57.7%
By share, of 63 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Lackawanna County
Starts at Lackawanna County's median, 2.1 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 2.1 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. Lackawanna County's median reported result, 2020.
The data
Lackawanna County, At a glance
Lackawanna County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 1: highest predicted potential
EPA puts all of Lackawanna County in
USGS geologic potential: High across 72% of the county's area
Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Measured: tests reported to CDC
Radon tests reported for Lackawanna County, 2020
| Year | Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 28.8% |
| 2015 | 28.3% |
| 2016 | 30.6% |
| 2017 | 27.8% |
| 2018 | 25.0% |
| 2019 | 27.5% |
| 2020 | 27.1% |
2020: 27.1%. Across these years the share ran from 25.0% to 30.6%. Each column counts radon tests reported to CDC that year, not homes.
What these figures count
These are the 776 tests reported to CDC for Lackawanna 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).
Lackawanna County, Compared
Lackawanna County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411Lackawanna County's 776 reported tests in 2020 had a middle value of 2.1 pCi/L and a maximum of 73.5 pCi/L, and 27.1% reached 4 pCi/L. Pennsylvania as a whole (67 Pennsylvania counties, pooled) comes to 30.3%: 3.2 points higher than here.
Among its state's counties it ranks 54th of 63 Pennsylvania counties with 30 or more tests for the same period. Statewide for the same period, Perry County reported the highest share (57.7%) and Philadelphia County the lowest (10.6%).
Below the action level, 373 tests (48.1%) came in under 2 pCi/L, against 44.3% statewide, and 193 tests (24.9%) fell between 2 and 4, against 25.4% statewide. The busiest year on file was 2020, with 776 tests reported; the quietest, 2017, had 539.
EPA's 1993 zone map puts Lackawanna County in Zone 1, a predicted county average above 4 pCi/L. USGS geology rates 72% of the county's land high radon potential.
Next door, the shares run from 28.2% in Luzerne County to 37.9% in Susquehanna County. Over 7 years of annual figures the share held within 2 points, from 28.8% in 2014 to 27.1% in 2020; its peak was 30.6% in 2016.
Lackawanna CountyPennsylvania, pooled
| Year | Tests | Lackawanna County, at or above 4 pCi/L | Pennsylvania, pooled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 650 | 28.8% | 36.1% |
| 2015 | 672 | 28.3% | 37.8% |
| 2016 | 654 | 30.6% | 34.4% |
| 2017 | 539 | 27.8% | 35.1% |
| 2018 | 667 | 25.0% | 30.5% |
| 2019 | 735 | 27.5% | 31.4% |
| 2020 | 776 | 27.1% | 30.3% |
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Lackawanna County, State data
Pennsylvania's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat Pennsylvania's own agencies publish about radon tests in Lackawanna 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 Lackawanna County
Pennsylvania DEP publishes its figures by ZIP code, not by county. These are the 29 ZIP codes that lie wholly or partly in Lackawanna County, each with the state's own figures for it. Period: Period not stated by DEP.
| ZIP code | What the state reports |
|---|---|
| 18403 | Basement: average 3.0 pCi/L, 1,170 tests; First floor: average 1.6 pCi/L, 145 tests |
| 18407 | Basement: average 3.7 pCi/L, 1,031 tests; First floor: average 2.3 pCi/L, 209 tests |
| 18411 | Basement: average 4.7 pCi/L, 7,316 tests; First floor: average 2.7 pCi/L, 570 tests |
| 18414 | Basement: average 4.7 pCi/L, 855 tests; First floor: average 2.7 pCi/L, 73 tests |
| 18419 | Basement: average 4.6 pCi/L, 569 tests; First floor: average 1.4 pCi/L, 64 tests |
| 18420 | Basement: average 4.5 pCi/L, 38 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 18421 | Basement: average 3.9 pCi/L, 438 tests; First floor: average 1.8 pCi/L, 131 tests |
| 18424 | Basement: average 4.7 pCi/L, 884 tests; First floor: average 2.1 pCi/L, 317 tests |
| 18433 | Basement: average 5.9 pCi/L, 881 tests; First floor: average 3.2 pCi/L, 82 tests |
| 18434 | Basement: average 3.4 pCi/L, 599 tests; First floor: average 1.1 pCi/L, 82 tests |
| 18436 | Basement: average 3.6 pCi/L, 5,453 tests; First floor: average 1.8 pCi/L, 891 tests |
| 18440 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 18444 | Basement: average 5.0 pCi/L, 1,650 tests; First floor: average 3.3 pCi/L, 96 tests |
| 18446 | Basement: average 6.6 pCi/L, 247 tests; First floor: average 3.2 pCi/L, 32 tests |
| 18447 | Basement: average 4.5 pCi/L, 1,137 tests; First floor: average 2.0 pCi/L, 185 tests |
| 18452 | Basement: average 3.8 pCi/L, 912 tests; First floor: average 2.3 pCi/L, 98 tests |
| 18471 | Basement: average 4.6 pCi/L, 421 tests; First floor: average 2.2 pCi/L, 61 tests |
| 18503 | Basement: average 1.7 pCi/L, 100 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 18504 | Basement: average 3.1 pCi/L, 1,982 tests; First floor: average 1.8 pCi/L, 305 tests |
| 18505 | Basement: average 3.3 pCi/L, 2,910 tests; First floor: average 1.3 pCi/L, 358 tests |
| 18507 | Basement: average 3.6 pCi/L, 990 tests; First floor: average 2.7 pCi/L, 80 tests |
| 18508 | Basement: average 3.8 pCi/L, 807 tests; First floor: average 1.4 pCi/L, 208 tests |
| 18509 | Basement: average 2.4 pCi/L, 1,155 tests; First floor: average 1.0 pCi/L, 145 tests |
| 18510 | Basement: average 2.4 pCi/L, 1,029 tests; First floor: average 1.1 pCi/L, 157 tests |
| 18512 | Basement: average 3.5 pCi/L, 2,007 tests; First floor: average 1.4 pCi/L, 268 tests |
| 18517 | Basement: average 3.3 pCi/L, 514 tests; First floor: average 1.6 pCi/L, 53 tests |
| 18518 | Basement: average 4.3 pCi/L, 1,283 tests; First floor: average 2.3 pCi/L, 127 tests |
| 18519 | Basement: average 3.6 pCi/L, 772 tests; First floor: average 1.8 pCi/L, 114 tests |
| 18641 | Basement: average 6.1 pCi/L, 851 tests; First floor: average 2.0 pCi/L, 85 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.
Lackawanna County, Geology
The ground under Lackawanna County
PredictedUSGS's geologic map splits Lackawanna County: 71.6% of its land is high radon potential and 28.4% moderate. The map puts 45.2% of Lackawanna County in the area it calls Appalachian Mountain Section and 28.4% in Glaciated Low Plateau East and Pocono Plateau, with one smaller area beside them. 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 | 45.2% |
| Glaciated Low Plateau East and Pocono Plateau | Moderately thick glacial till overlying sandstone, siltstone, mudstone, and shale. | Moderate | 10 | 28.4% |
| Glaciated Low Plateau Western Portion | Moderately thick glacial till overlying sandstone, siltstone, mudstone, and shale. | High | 13 | 26.3% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
Lackawanna County beside the ground around it
On high-potential ground Lackawanna County is close to Pennsylvania as a whole: 71.6% of its land against 70.4%. Of the 5 counties that border it, 3 have more high-potential ground, Wyoming County the most at 100%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
Lackawanna County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Lackawanna County
Listed radon businesses with an address in Lackawanna 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.
Listed radon professionals by town: Scranton, Clarks Summit
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
Lackawanna County, Questions
Questions about radon in Lackawanna County
Are radon levels high in Lackawanna County?
In 2020, 27.1% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 2.1 pCi/L. Of 63 Pennsylvania counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 53 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 30.3%.
Which counties border Lackawanna County?
Lackawanna County borders 5 counties: Wyoming County, Luzerne County, Wayne County, Monroe County and Susquehanna County.
Products
Lackawanna County, Products
Testing a home in Lackawanna County
In Lackawanna County, 27.1% of 776 tests reported to CDC in 2020 reached 4 pCi/L, against 30.3% pooled across Pennsylvania. In Zone 1 the year-round level in Lackawanna 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
MonitorX-Sense
XR0B-SR battery digital radon monitor with an alarm
- C-NRPP 2024/25: Not included
- Battery
- Alarm
- Screen
Method: Alpha spectrometry
First reading: Within 24 hours
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
- See every kit and monitor Test kits and monitors
Test kits and monitors: 1 of 3
Lackawanna County is in EPA Zone 1, the highest predicted radon potential. Best radon monitors for Zone 1 counties like Lackawanna County
Explore
Lackawanna County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Lackawanna County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Susquehanna CountyEPA zone 1
37.9%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.0 pCi/L · 116 tests · 10.8 points above Lackawanna County
- Radon levels in Wyoming CountyEPA zone 1
30.9%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.0 pCi/L · 123 tests · 3.8 points above Lackawanna County
- Radon levels in Monroe CountyEPA zone 1
30.7%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.1 pCi/L · 1,649 tests · 3.6 points above Lackawanna County
- Radon levels in Wayne CountyEPA zone 2
30.1%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.3 pCi/L · 607 tests · 3.0 points above Lackawanna County
- Radon levels in Luzerne CountyEPA zone 1
28.2%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.0 pCi/L · 991 tests · 1.1 points above Lackawanna County
Lackawanna County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Lackawanna County
Lackawanna County's population has barely moved since 2020: 216,502 residents on July 1, 2025 against 215,529 then, by the Census Bureau's estimates. That works out to 472 people per square mile of land. Its largest town, Scranton, has 75,514 residents, 34.9% of the total. Together its 19 incorporated places hold 77.6% of those residents; the other 22.4% live outside any of them. Reported testing is thin here: 776 tests over 2020, or 3.6 for every 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), where Pennsylvania as a whole comes to 7.2.
From Scranton to Vandling, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Lackawanna County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scranton | 75,514 | −0.9% | 34.9% |
| Dunmore | 14,249 | +1.6% | 6.6% |
| Carbondale | 8,731 | −0.5% | 4.0% |
| Old Forge | 8,640 | +1.6% | 4.0% |
| Archbald | 7,598 | +3.1% | 3.5% |
| Blakely | 6,611 | −0.2% | 3.1% |
| Taylor | 6,232 | −0.6% | 2.9% |
| Moosic | 5,989 | +1.0% | 2.8% |
| Dickson City | 5,976 | −0.6% | 2.8% |
| Olyphant | 5,390 | +0.4% | 2.5% |
| Clarks Summit | 5,069 | +0.2% | 2.3% |
| Jessup | 4,506 | −0.3% | 2.1% |
Places in Lackawanna County with a city page: 1 of 1
- Throop
- Jermyn
- Moscow
- Mayfield
- Clarks Green
- Dalton
- Vandling
19 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).
Lackawanna County, Homes
Homes in Lackawanna County
Of Lackawanna County's 100,013 homes, 65% are detached houses, against 57% across Pennsylvania; 8% are in buildings of five or more homes. The homes are older than Pennsylvania's as a whole: half were built before 1955 (1965 for Pennsylvania), and 54% date from before 1960. 65% of occupied homes are lived in by their owner (Pennsylvania: 69%); in the rest a tenant can run a test, but a fix is the landlord's to make.
| Homes | Lackawanna County | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 100,013 | 5,779,663 |
| Detached houses | 65% | 57% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 8% | 13% |
| Mobile homes | 2% | 4% |
| Built before 1960 | 54% | 45% |
| Built since 2000 | 10% | 14% |
| Middle year built | 1955 | 1965 |
| Owner-occupied | 65% | 69% |
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.