Locations and reports
Radon Levels in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania
What this means for you
- Your area: EPA rates Schuylkill County Zone 1, the highest of its three radon zones. That is a prediction for the whole county, and homes with elevated levels occur in all three zones.
- Local tests: Of 797 radon tests reported to CDC for Schuylkill County (2020), 53.5% were at or above 4 pCi/L, EPA's action level.
- Your home: The only way to know your home’s level is to test it.
pCi/L (picocuries per liter) is the unit radon is measured in. EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or above, its action level.
In 2020, 53.5% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania came back at or above the EPA action level of 4 pCi/L, and the median result was 4.5 pCi/L. EPA's Map of Radon Zones places the county in Zone 1, highest predicted potential. Radon levels vary from home to home, so only a test measures the level in yours.
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 1: highest predicted potential
EPA predicts an average indoor of greater than 4 pCi/L (greater than 150 Bq/m³) across the county as a whole.
This is a county-level geologic prediction. It is not a measurement of any address, and houses with elevated radon are found in all three zones.
USGS geologic potential: Low across 100% of the county's land area
Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Measured: tests reported to CDC
Radon tests reported for Schuylkill County, 2020
- Tests reported
- 797
- At or above 4 pCi/L
- 53.5%
- Median result
- 4.5 pCi/L
Of 797 pre-mitigation tests reported to CDC, not homes in this area. CDC publishes the share in each band, not a count per band, so the per-band counts in the table are calculated by Radon411 and rounded to add up to the published total.
| Result band | Tests Calculated by Radon411 | Share Measured |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 pCi/L | 241 | 30.2% |
| 2 to 4 pCi/L | 130 | 16.3% |
| 4 pCi/L and above | 426 | 53.5% |
Distribution of tested buildings, not this house. People testing before a sale, or because they suspect a problem, are over-represented in any reported testing data.
Measured: CDC tracking data. Figure above: 2020. Measured data period: 2005 to 2020 (every CDC figure on file).
Schuylkill County, In figures
Schuylkill County in figures
What the published data says about Schuylkill County, in words. A zone and a share of tests describe an area, never the level in any one home.
Predicted
PredictedEPA places Schuylkill County in Zone 1, highest predicted potential, as it does 48 other counties of Pennsylvania's 67.
Of the 8 bordering counties, EPA places Berks County, Carbon County, Columbia County, Dauphin County, Lebanon County, Lehigh County, Luzerne County and Northumberland County in Zone 1.
Reported tests
MeasuredCDC has annual figures for Schuylkill County for 7 years, 2014 to 2020. In 2020, 53.5% of 797 reported tests were at or above 4 pCi/L.
Across those years the share ranged from 42.5% (2019) to 57.9% (2017). Few tests in a year can move it a long way.
Local record
Pennsylvania's radon program is the Radon Division, run by Department of Environmental Protection; its contacts are under Local resources.
The county's largest incorporated places are Pottsville, Tamaqua and Schuylkill Haven; the figures here cover them as part of the county.
Schuylkill County, Reported testing
Reported testing over time
Measured| Year | Median reported result | Highest reported result | Share of tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 4.7 pCi/L | 609.8 pCi/L | 54.4% |
| 2015 | 4.7 pCi/L | 423.6 pCi/L | 55.1% |
| 2016 | 2.6 pCi/L | 162.6 pCi/L | 43.0% |
| 2017 | 5.2 pCi/L | 418.8 pCi/L | 57.9% |
| 2018 | 4.0 pCi/L | 443.7 pCi/L | 50.2% |
| 2019 | 2.9 pCi/L | 206.3 pCi/L | 42.5% |
| 2020 | 4.5 pCi/L | 422.0 pCi/L | 53.5% |
What these figures count
Every percentage here is a share of radon tests reported to CDC for Schuylkill County in 2020. It is not a share of homes in Schuylkill County, and it is not a random sample: it counts only the tests people chose to run and that were reported.
The shares and the median are calculated from pre-mitigation tests (797 for 2020). CDC also reports the number of buildings tested (397), a different count, so the two totals are not interchangeable.
Schuylkill County, State data
Pennsylvania's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat Pennsylvania's own agencies publish about radon tests in Schuylkill County, with their period. These are not CDC's figures and are never added to them.
What Pennsylvania DEP reports for the ZIP codes in Schuylkill County
Pennsylvania DEP publishes its figures by ZIP code, not by county. These are the 59 ZIP codes that lie wholly or partly in Schuylkill County, each with the state's own figures for it. Period: Period not stated by DEP.
| ZIP code | What the state reports |
|---|---|
| 17901 | Basement: average 10.8 pCi/L, 2,921 tests; First floor: average 5.2 pCi/L, 346 tests |
| 17921 | Basement: average 14.0 pCi/L, 448 tests; First floor: average 4.2 pCi/L, 61 tests |
| 17922 | Basement: average 18.3 pCi/L, 1,300 tests; First floor: average 11.5 pCi/L, 125 tests |
| 17923 | Basement: figures not shown |
| 17925 | Basement: average 8.8 pCi/L, 33 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 17929 | Basement: average 10.2 pCi/L, 179 tests; First floor: average 17.8 pCi/L, 31 tests |
| 17930 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 17931 | Basement: average 7.3 pCi/L, 431 tests; First floor: average 2.7 pCi/L, 70 tests |
| 17933 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 17934 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 17935 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 17936 | Basement: average 5.9 pCi/L, 58 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 17938 | Basement: average 15.9 pCi/L, 244 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 17941 | Basement: average 31.5 pCi/L, 34 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 17943 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 17944 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 17945 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 17946 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 17948 | Basement: average 2.3 pCi/L, 63 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 17949 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 17951 | Basement: average 10.1 pCi/L, 39 tests |
| 17952 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 17953 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 17954 | Basement: average 11.2 pCi/L, 299 tests; First floor: average 6.5 pCi/L, 49 tests |
| 17957 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 17959 | Basement: average 19.8 pCi/L, 95 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 17960 | Basement: average 27.5 pCi/L, 389 tests; First floor: average 7.8 pCi/L, 44 tests |
| 17961 | Basement: average 8.9 pCi/L, 1,110 tests; First floor: average 4.9 pCi/L, 176 tests |
| 17963 | Basement: average 19.7 pCi/L, 894 tests; First floor: average 8.3 pCi/L, 137 tests |
| 17964 | Basement: average 30.1 pCi/L, 42 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 17965 | Basement: average 7.1 pCi/L, 116 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 17967 | Basement: average 23.9 pCi/L, 226 tests; First floor: average 14.0 pCi/L, 39 tests |
| 17968 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 17970 | Basement: average 6.4 pCi/L, 197 tests; First floor: average 1.7 pCi/L, 48 tests |
| 17972 | Basement: average 16.5 pCi/L, 1,642 tests; First floor: average 8.5 pCi/L, 190 tests |
| 17974 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 17976 | Basement: average 5.5 pCi/L, 227 tests; First floor: average 2.0 pCi/L, 39 tests |
| 17978 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 17979 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 17980 | Basement: average 9.4 pCi/L, 164 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 17981 | Basement: average 10.5 pCi/L, 107 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 17982 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 17983 | Basement: average 18.1 pCi/L, 128 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 17985 | Basement: average 12.1 pCi/L, 122 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 18202 | Basement: average 7.5 pCi/L, 1,312 tests; First floor: average 3.4 pCi/L, 105 tests |
| 18211 | Basement: average 25.8 pCi/L, 157 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 18214 | Basement: average 29.3 pCi/L, 212 tests; First floor: average 12.0 pCi/L, 34 tests |
| 18218 | Basement: average 5.1 pCi/L, 107 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 18220 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 18231 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 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 |
| 18241 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 18242 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 18245 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 18248 | Basement: average 4.8 pCi/L, 32 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 18250 | Basement: average 6.8 pCi/L, 202 tests; First floor: average 2.4 pCi/L, 48 tests |
| 18252 | Basement: average 11.5 pCi/L, 816 tests; First floor: average 10.5 pCi/L, 110 tests |
| 19549 | 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.
Schuylkill County, Comparison
How Schuylkill County compares
MeasuredSchuylkill County's own published CDC figures beside those of the counties that border it, for the same period.
Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L
Measured2020, highest first. Each county’s own published CDC figure.
- Lebanon CountyPA1,102 tests54.2%
- Schuylkill CountyThis page797 tests53.5%
- Northumberland CountyPA275 tests49.8%
- Carbon CountyPA438 tests40.6%
- Lehigh CountyPA3,103 tests39.8%
- Berks CountyPA2,632 tests39.6%
- Dauphin CountyPA2,986 tests36.9%
- Columbia CountyPA409 tests34.7%
- Luzerne CountyPA991 tests28.2%
Median reported result
Measured2020, highest first. Each county’s own published CDC figure.
- Lebanon CountyPA1,102 tests4.8 pCi/L
- Schuylkill CountyThis page797 tests4.5 pCi/L
- Northumberland CountyPA275 tests3.9 pCi/L
- Carbon CountyPA438 tests3.0 pCi/L
- Berks CountyPA2,632 tests2.9 pCi/L
- Lehigh CountyPA3,103 tests2.7 pCi/L
- Columbia CountyPA409 tests2.0 pCi/L
- Dauphin CountyPA2,986 tests2.0 pCi/L
- Luzerne CountyPA991 tests2.0 pCi/L
Each figure is that county’s own published CDC figure for 2020, counting radon tests reported to CDC, not homes. Schuylkill County is this page. Nothing is averaged or combined across counties. The test count beside each county is CDC’s published number of pre-mitigation tests behind its figures. Figures from few tests can swing widely from year to year. Every Pennsylvania county’s own figure is in the Pennsylvania county table.
CDC publishes this figure only for counties here, so there is no state or national number to compare Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania with.
Schuylkill County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Schuylkill County
Calculated by Radon4118 counties share a boundary with Schuylkill County, computed from Census county geometry. Radon potential follows geology rather than county lines, so a bordering county’s report can be worth reading alongside this one.
- Columbia CountyPAZone 1: Highest predicted potential
- Lebanon CountyPAZone 1: Highest predicted potential
- Berks CountyPAZone 1: Highest predicted potential
- Carbon CountyPAZone 1: Highest predicted potential
- Northumberland CountyPAZone 1: Highest predicted potential
- Lehigh CountyPAZone 1: Highest predicted potential
- Luzerne CountyPAZone 1: Highest predicted potential
- Dauphin CountyPAZone 1: Highest predicted potential
Schuylkill County, Local resources
Local resources in Pennsylvania
Who to ask in Pennsylvania: the state's radon program, test kits and professionals.
Radon Division
Department of Environmental Protection
Pennsylvania’s radon program answers questions about testing, mitigation and the rules where you live.
- 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...
Test kits
The 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.
Radon professionals
755 professionals are listed in Pennsylvania.
Professionals in PennsylvaniaSchuylkill County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Schuylkill County
The radon figures on this page are for Schuylkill County as a whole. They do not differ by city or town.
- Pottsville
- Tamaqua
- Schuylkill Haven
- Minersville
- Shenandoah
- Frackville
- Mahanoy City
- Orwigsburg
- St. Clair
- Ashland (part)
- McAdoo
- Coaldale
- Pine Grove
- Port Carbon
- Tremont
- Cressona
- Tower City
- Girardville
- New Philadelphia
- Palo Alto
- Gordon
- Ringtown
- Deer Lake
- Auburn
The other 7 places in Schuylkill County
- Gilberton
- Mechanicsville
- Middleport
- Port Clinton
- New Ringgold
- Landingville
- Mount Carbon
31 incorporated places, as listed in the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 place reference files. “(part)” marks a place that extends into another county.
Schuylkill County, Questions
Questions about radon in Schuylkill County
Common questions8 questions, answered from the figures above
Are radon levels high in Schuylkill County?
In 2020, 53.5% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 4.5 pCi/L. That is a share of reported tests, not of homes. EPA places Schuylkill County in Zone 1, highest predicted potential, a predicted average indoor screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Homes with elevated levels occur in all three zones, so the figures describe the area, not your house. Testing is the only way to know the radon level in a specific building.
How do I get a radon test in Schuylkill County?
EPA says you can test your home yourself or hire a qualified radon test company, and that either approach takes only a small amount of time and effort. No certified tester listed on Radon411 names Schuylkill County as a service area yet. The Pennsylvania radon program is the place to ask about certified testers and any test kit offer it runs.
How to test a homeTest kits comparedFree and low-cost kits by statePennsylvania radon program
Who does radon mitigation in Schuylkill County?
No listed mitigator names Schuylkill County as a service area yet; the Pennsylvania directory lists 755 companies. EPA recommends having a qualified contractor fix a home with a radon problem, because lowering high radon levels takes technical knowledge and special skills, and some states require the work to be done by a licensed or certified professional. Your state radon program is the place to check whether Pennsylvania requires one.
How radon mitigation worksWhat mitigation costsMitigators in Pennsylvania
What EPA radon zone is Schuylkill County in?
EPA places Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania in Zone 1, which EPA describes as highest predicted potential for the area. A zone is a prediction for the whole county and never determines whether a particular home should be tested. EPA recommends testing every home regardless of zone.
Should I test my home in Schuylkill County?
Yes. Testing is the only way to know the radon level in a specific building. EPA recommends fixing a home when the radon level is 4 pCi/L or higher. EPA recommends considering a fix when the level is between 2 and 4 pCi/L. How to test a home.
When is the best time of year to test?
EPA says short-term tests stay in the home from 2 to 90 days and that all radon tests should run a minimum of 48 hours; long-term tests stay more than 90 days. EPA's guides do not name a best season: they say radon levels tend to vary from day to day and season to season, so a long-term test is more likely than a short-term test to tell you the year-round average.
What does it cost to test?
EPA's Citizen's Guide calls testing easy and inexpensive, and EPA's Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide says passive short-term and long-term devices are generally inexpensive, while active devices may cost more. No national average price is published for this, so Radon411 does not give one. What testing costs.
Which counties border Schuylkill County?
Schuylkill County borders 8 counties, derived from Census county geometry. Radon potential follows geology rather than county lines, so a bordering county's report can be relevant.
What these figures mean if you own, buy, sell or rent
The reported-test figures on this page describe Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania in 2020. They describe tests other people carried out in other buildings, and none of them measures yours.
- How to test a home
If you own your home
Test the lowest lived-in level; a short-term kit screens in days, a long-term kit reflects the year.
- Buying a house: radon guide
If you are buying
Ask for past results and any system's post-mitigation test, and test during the sale.
- Selling a house: radon guide
If you are selling
Testing before you list puts the timing in your hands; disclosure rules differ by state.
- Radon in rental homes
If you rent, or rent out a home
A tenant can test; a fix is the owner's to make, and duties differ by state.
How long a test has to run, under what conditions, and what EPA says a result means: the testing standard, in full.
Schuylkill County, Products
Testing and mitigation products
Whatever the figures for Schuylkill County show, only a test tells you about one home.
Testing
- Short-term test kitsPassive detectors exposed for a few days under closed-building conditions, then analyzed by a lab.
- Long-term test kitsDetectors exposed for more than 90 days, for a closer picture of the annual average.
- Continuous monitorsPowered devices that log radon on a repeating cycle, often used for transaction tests.
- Digital detectorsConsumer devices that display a running radon reading without a lab.
- Water radon testsKits for radon dissolved in well water, analyzed by a lab.
Mitigation
- Mitigation fansThe inline fan that keeps a soil depressurization system running, sized by the installer.
- System indicatorsU-tube manometers and fan alarms that show whether a mitigation system is still working.
- Sealing materialsCrack, joint and sump sealing used alongside a mitigation system, not instead of one.
Schuylkill County / Next steps
What to do next
Learn
Know what radon is
What radon is, how it gets indoors, and why a county zone is not a reading for your home.
Learn about radonTest
Test the building you live in
Short-term or long-term, where the device goes, and closed-house conditions.
How to testFix
Bring a high level down
How a mitigation system works, and the retest that confirms it.
How mitigation worksFind a pro
Hire a certified professional
Measurement and mitigation professionals by state, with their certifications.
Find a professional
Informational. Follow EPA guidance. EPA says all radon tests should be taken for a minimum of 48 hours, with windows and doors closed from 12 hours before a short-term test.