Short-term kitFirst Alert
RD1 short-term charcoal radon test kit
- Lab fee included
Method: Charcoal
In home: 2 to 4 days
Locations and reports
Radon Levels in Potter County, Pennsylvania
EPA puts Potter County in Zone 2, its middle radon zone, and 17.9% of its 195 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
17.9%
12.4 pts below PA
- Potter
- 17.9%
- PA
- 30.3%
195 tests, 2020
Median result
1.1pCi/L
Below action level
- Potter
- 1.1 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2020
Tests reported
195
43rd of 63 by tests
- Potter
- 195
- Montgomery
- 10,508
Reported to CDC before any fix, 2020
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
60 of 63
Lowest quarter
- Potter
- 17.9%
- Perry
- 57.7%
By share, of 63 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Potter County
Starts at Potter County's median, 1.1 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 1.1 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. Potter County's median reported result, 2020.
The data
Potter County, At a glance
Potter County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 2: moderate predicted potential
Potter County is a
USGS geologic potential: Moderate across 59% of the county's area
Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Measured: tests reported to CDC
Radon tests reported for Potter County, 2020
| Year | Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 60.4% |
| 2015 | 58.3% |
| 2016 | 56.5% |
| 2017 | 41.2% |
| 2018 | 46.3% |
| 2019 | 63.5% |
| 2020 | 17.9% |
2020: 17.9%. Across these years the share ran from 17.9% to 63.5%. Each column counts radon tests reported to CDC that year, not homes.
What these figures count
These are the 195 tests reported to CDC for Potter 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).
Potter County, Compared
Potter County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411Potter County's 195 reported tests in 2020 had a middle value of 1.1 pCi/L and a maximum of 164.3 pCi/L, and 17.9% reached 4 pCi/L. Pennsylvania as a whole (67 Pennsylvania counties, pooled) comes to 30.3%: 12.4 points higher than here.
Among its state's counties it ranks 60th 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, 129 tests (66.2%) came in under 2 pCi/L, against 44.3% statewide, and 31 tests (15.9%) fell between 2 and 4, against 25.4% statewide. The busiest year on file was 2020, with 195 tests reported; the quietest, 2017, had 34.
EPA's 1993 zone map puts Potter County in Zone 2, a predicted county average between 2 and 4 pCi/L. USGS geology rates 59% of the county's land moderate radon potential.
Next door, the shares run from 45.0% in Tioga County to 55.2% in Steuben County, NY. Over 7 years of annual figures the share fell 42.5 points, from 60.4% in 2014 to 17.9% in 2020; its peak was 63.5% in 2019.
Potter CountyPennsylvania, pooled
17.9% % of tests30.3% % of tests
| Year | Tests | Potter County, at or above 4 pCi/L | Pennsylvania, pooled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 48 | 60.4% | 36.1% |
| 2015 | 48 | 58.3% | 37.8% |
| 2016 | 46 | 56.5% | 34.4% |
| 2017 | 34 | 41.2% | 35.1% |
| 2018 | 41 | 46.3% | 30.5% |
| 2019 | 52 | 63.5% | 31.4% |
| 2020 | 195 | 17.9% | 30.3% |
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Potter County, State data
Pennsylvania's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat Pennsylvania's own agencies publish about radon tests in Potter 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 Potter County
Pennsylvania DEP publishes its figures by ZIP code, not by county. These are the 14 ZIP codes that lie wholly or partly in Potter County, each with the state's own figures for it. Period: Period not stated by DEP.
| ZIP code | What the state reports |
|---|---|
| 16720 | Basement: average 14.3 pCi/L, 50 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 16743 | Basement: average 7.9 pCi/L, 66 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 16746 | Basement: average 58.1 pCi/L, 36 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 16748 | Basement: average 13.1 pCi/L, 84 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 16915 | Basement: average 16.3 pCi/L, 957 tests; First floor: average 4.9 pCi/L, 293 tests |
| 16921 | Basement: average 7.5 pCi/L, 31 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 16922 | Basement: average 30.6 pCi/L, 131 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 16923 | Basement: average 11.9 pCi/L, 44 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 16927 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 16937 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 16943 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 16948 | Basement: average 26.2 pCi/L, 74 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 16950 | Basement: average 6.1 pCi/L, 91 tests; First floor: average 3.1 pCi/L, 45 tests |
| 17729 | Basement: figures not shown; 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.
Potter County, Geology
The ground under Potter County
PredictedUSGS's geologic map splits Potter County: 58.8% of its land is moderate radon potential and 41.2% high. The map puts 58.8% of Potter County in the area it calls High Plateau and 22.1% in Mountainous High Plateau, with one smaller area beside them. USGS gives the first a radon index of 10, in the moderate band (9 to 11), and the second 12, 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 | 58.8% |
| Mountainous High Plateau | Sandstone, shale and conglomerate. | High | 12 | 22.1% |
| Glaciated Low Plateau Western Portion | Moderately thick glacial till overlying sandstone, siltstone, mudstone, and shale. | High | 13 | 19.1% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
Potter County beside the ground around it
Pennsylvania as a whole has more high-potential ground than Potter County: 70.4% of its land, against 41.2% here. Of the 7 counties that border it, 6 have more high-potential ground, Steuben County, NY the most at 100%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
Potter County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Potter 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
Potter County, Questions
Questions about radon in Potter County
Are radon levels high in Potter County?
In 2020, 17.9% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Potter County, Pennsylvania were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 1.1 pCi/L. Of 63 Pennsylvania counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 59 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 30.3%.
Which counties border Potter County?
Potter County borders 7 counties: Cameron County, PA, Allegany County, NY, Tioga County, PA, McKean County, PA, Clinton County, PA, Steuben County, NY and Lycoming County, PA.
Products
Potter County, Products
Testing a home in Potter County
In Potter County, 17.9% of 195 tests reported to CDC in 2020 reached 4 pCi/L, against 30.3% pooled across Pennsylvania. In Zone 2 a short-term kit (2 to 90 days) is the quick first check in Potter 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
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
- See every kit and monitor Test kits and monitors
Test kits and monitors: 1 of 3
Explore
Potter County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Potter County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Cameron County, PAEPA zone 1
75.0%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 4.8 pCi/L · 4 tests · 57.1 points above Potter County
- Radon levels in Steuben County, NYEPA zone 1
55.2%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 4.6 pCi/L · 67 tests · 37.3 points above Potter County
- Radon levels in Clinton County, PAEPA zone 1
54.1%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 4.5 pCi/L · 133 tests · 36.2 points above Potter County
- Radon levels in Lycoming County, PAEPA zone 1
45.2%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.5 pCi/L · 562 tests · 27.3 points above Potter County
- Radon levels in Tioga County, PAEPA zone 1
45.0%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.2 pCi/L · 160 tests · 27.1 points above Potter County
- Radon levels in McKean County, PAEPA zone 2
10.5%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 1.7 pCi/L · 19 tests · 7.4 points below Potter County
- Radon levels in Allegany County, NYEPA zone 1
0.0%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 0.9 pCi/L · 1 test · 17.9 points below Potter County
Potter County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Potter County
About 15,897 people live in Potter County by the Census Bureau's estimate for July 1, 2025, 492 fewer than in 2020 (−3.0%). That works out to 15 people per square mile of land. No town dominates: Coudersport, the largest, has 2,281 residents, 14.3% of the total. Together its 6 incorporated places hold 34.4% of those residents; the other 65.6% live outside any of them. Testing is reported here more often than across the state: CDC's 195 reported tests for 2020 come to 12.3 for every 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), against 7.2 for Pennsylvania.
From Coudersport to Oswayo, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Potter County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coudersport | 2,281 | −3.8% | 14.3% |
| Shinglehouse | 1,060 | −3.9% | 6.7% |
| Galeton | 947 | −3.7% | 6.0% |
| Ulysses | 583 | −2.3% | 3.7% |
| Austin | 463 | −3.5% | 2.9% |
| Oswayo | 127 | −3.8% | 0.8% |
6 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).
Potter County, Homes
Homes in Potter County
Potter County is a place of houses on their own lots: 81% of its 12,375 homes are detached single-family houses, against 57% across Pennsylvania. Half of its homes were built before 1969, close to Pennsylvania's 1965: 40% date from before 1960 and 11% from 2000 or later. Owners live in 80% of the occupied homes (Pennsylvania: 69%), so for most households a test and a fix are their own to order.
| Homes | Potter County | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 12,375 | 5,779,663 |
| Detached houses | 81% | 57% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 2% | 13% |
| Mobile homes | 13% | 4% |
| Built before 1960 | 40% | 45% |
| Built since 2000 | 11% | 14% |
| Middle year built | 1969 | 1965 |
| Owner-occupied | 80% | 69% |
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.