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 Somerset County, Pennsylvania
EPA puts Somerset County in Zone 2, its middle radon zone, and high results are common there: 43.7% of the 126 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
43.7%
13.4 pts above PA
- Somerset
- 43.7%
- PA
- 30.3%
126 tests, 2020
Median result
3.7pCi/L
Below action level
- Somerset
- 3.7 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2020
Tests reported
126
50th of 63 by tests
- Somerset
- 126
- 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
18 of 63
Middle half
- Somerset
- 43.7%
- Perry
- 57.7%
By share, of 63 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Somerset County
Starts at Somerset County's median, 3.7 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 3.7 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. Somerset County's median reported result, 2020.
The data
Somerset County, At a glance
Somerset County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 2: moderate predicted potential
Somerset County is a
USGS geologic potential: Moderate across 99% of the county's area
Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Measured: tests reported to CDC
Radon tests reported for Somerset County, 2020
| Year | Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 39.1% |
| 2015 | 49.3% |
| 2016 | 44.7% |
| 2017 | 43.7% |
| 2018 | 43.3% |
| 2019 | 37.9% |
| 2020 | 43.7% |
2020: 43.7%. Across these years the share ran from 37.9% to 49.3%. Each column counts radon tests reported to CDC that year, not homes.
What these figures count
These are the 126 tests reported to CDC for Somerset 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).
Somerset County, Compared
Somerset County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411In Somerset County, about 4 in 10 reported tests in 2020 (55 of 126) were at or above EPA's action level. Against the national pool of 25.5%, the gap is 18.2 points higher. Across 67 Pennsylvania counties pooled together, 30.3% of tests reached that level, so Somerset County runs 13.4 points above its state.
Of 4 neighbours with a figure, 2 reported a larger share at or above 4 pCi/L and 2 a smaller one; the spread is 17.4% (Fayette County) to 47.8% (Bedford County). By share, Somerset County is 18th of 63 Pennsylvania counties with 30 or more tests for the same period.
Year by year, 2014 opened at 39.1% and 2020 closed at 43.7% (up 4.6 points), with 2015 the high at 49.3%. Half the tests came in under 3.7 pCi/L and half over it; the single highest reached 201.0 pCi/L. Below the action level, 37 tests (29.4%) came in under 2 pCi/L, against 44.3% statewide, and 34 tests (27.0%) fell between 2 and 4, against 25.4% statewide.
Zone 2 on EPA's map (predicted average between 2 and 4 pCi/L) and a 43.7% share point the same way here. USGS geology rates 99% of the county's land moderate radon potential.
The busiest year on file was 2016, with 188 tests reported; the quietest, 2014, had 115.
Somerset CountyPennsylvania, pooled
43.7% % of tests30.3% % of tests
| Year | Tests | Somerset County, at or above 4 pCi/L | Pennsylvania, pooled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 115 | 39.1% | 36.1% |
| 2015 | 146 | 49.3% | 37.8% |
| 2016 | 188 | 44.7% | 34.4% |
| 2017 | 119 | 43.7% | 35.1% |
| 2018 | 127 | 43.3% | 30.5% |
| 2019 | 161 | 37.9% | 31.4% |
| 2020 | 126 | 43.7% | 30.3% |
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Somerset County, State data
Pennsylvania's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat Pennsylvania's own agencies publish about radon tests in Somerset 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 Somerset County
Pennsylvania DEP publishes its figures by ZIP code, not by county. These are the 40 ZIP codes that lie wholly or partly in Somerset County, each with the state's own figures for it. Period: Period not stated by DEP.
| ZIP code | What the state reports |
|---|---|
| 15411 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 15424 | Basement: average 10.4 pCi/L, 61 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 15501 | Basement: average 8.6 pCi/L, 914 tests; First floor: average 3.2 pCi/L, 92 tests |
| 15502 | Basement: average 6.0 pCi/L, 176 tests; First floor: average 2.6 pCi/L, 77 tests |
| 15510 | Basement: figures not shown |
| 15520 | Basement: figures not shown |
| 15530 | Basement: average 7.8 pCi/L, 157 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 15531 | Basement: average 5.0 pCi/L, 136 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 15532 | Basement: figures not shown |
| 15534 | Basement: average 6.2 pCi/L, 31 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 15538 | Basement: figures not shown |
| 15540 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 15541 | Basement: average 10.8 pCi/L, 266 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 15542 | Basement: figures not shown |
| 15544 | Basement: figures not shown |
| 15545 | Basement: average 7.9 pCi/L, 47 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 15546 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 15547 | Basement: average 13.4 pCi/L, 33 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 15551 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 15552 | Basement: average 6.7 pCi/L, 93 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 15557 | Basement: average 8.3 pCi/L, 161 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 15558 | Basement: average 8.7 pCi/L, 37 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 15559 | Basement: average 15.4 pCi/L, 162 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 15560 | Basement: figures not shown |
| 15561 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 15562 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 15563 | Basement: average 5.3 pCi/L, 149 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 15564 | Basement: figures not shown |
| 15565 | Basement: figures not shown |
| 15622 | Basement: average 11.6 pCi/L, 191 tests; First floor: average 8.9 pCi/L, 89 tests |
| 15904 | Basement: average 5.9 pCi/L, 2,235 tests; First floor: average 4.6 pCi/L, 107 tests |
| 15905 | Basement: average 6.2 pCi/L, 3,225 tests; First floor: average 3.5 pCi/L, 241 tests |
| 15924 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 15926 | Basement: average 9.0 pCi/L, 140 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 15928 | Basement: average 7.9 pCi/L, 202 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 15935 | Basement: average 9.6 pCi/L, 129 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 15936 | Basement: average 5.2 pCi/L, 45 tests; First floor: figures not shown |
| 15937 | Basement: figures not shown; First floor: figures not shown |
| 15953 | Basement: figures not shown |
| 15963 | Basement: average 7.8 pCi/L, 720 tests; 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.
Somerset County, Geology
The ground under Somerset County
PredictedMost of the ground under Somerset County is one class on USGS's geologic map: 99.2% of its land is moderate radon potential, with 0.8% high. 99.2% of it lies in the area the map calls Allegheny Mountain Section, to which USGS gives a radon index of 11, in the moderate band (9 to 11).
| Area | The rock, in USGS's words | Potential | Radon index | Share of land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegheny Mountain Section | Pennsylvanian sandstone, siltstone, shale, limestone, coal. | Moderate | 11 | 99.2% |
| Appalachian Mountain Section | Paleozoic sandstone, shale, and limestone. | High | 12 | 0.8% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
Somerset County beside the ground around it
Pennsylvania as a whole has more high-potential ground than Somerset County: 70.4% of its land, against 0.8% here. Of the 6 counties that border it, 5 have more high-potential ground, Bedford County the most at 97.7%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
Somerset County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Somerset 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
Somerset County, Questions
Questions about radon in Somerset County
Are radon levels high in Somerset County?
In 2020, 43.7% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Somerset County, Pennsylvania were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 3.7 pCi/L. Of 63 Pennsylvania counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 17 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 30.3%.
Which counties border Somerset County?
Somerset County borders 6 counties: Bedford County, PA, Westmoreland County, PA, Fayette County, PA, Allegany County, MD, Cambria County, PA and Garrett County, MD.
Products
Somerset County, Products
Testing a home in Somerset County
In Somerset County, 43.7% of 126 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 Somerset 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
Somerset County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Somerset County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Bedford County, PAEPA zone 1
47.8%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.8 pCi/L · 69 tests · 4.1 points above Somerset County
- Radon levels in Cambria County, PAEPA zone 2
44.7%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.3 pCi/L · 329 tests · 1.0 points above Somerset County
- Radon levels in Westmoreland County, PAEPA zone 1
34.9%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.6 pCi/L · 1,588 tests · 8.8 points below Somerset County
- Radon levels in Fayette County, PAEPA zone 2
17.4%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 1.8 pCi/L · 287 tests · 26.3 points below Somerset County
- Radon levels in Allegany County, MDEPA zone 2
No CDC figure for 2020; its page reads it against its own neighbours.
- Radon levels in Garrett County, MDEPA zone 2
No CDC figure for 2020; its page reads it against its own neighbours.
Somerset County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Somerset County
About 72,004 people live in Somerset County by the Census Bureau's estimate for July 1, 2025, 1,990 fewer than in 2020 (−2.7%). That works out to 67 people per square mile of land. No town dominates: Somerset, the largest, has 5,815 residents, 8.1% of the total. Reported testing is thin here: 126 tests over 2020, or 1.7 for every 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), where Pennsylvania as a whole comes to 7.2.
From Somerset to Seven Springs, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Somerset County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Somerset | 5,815 | −3.5% | 8.1% |
| Windber | 3,780 | −3.7% | 5.2% |
| Meyersdale | 1,986 | −3.5% | 2.8% |
| Berlin | 1,956 | −2.7% | 2.7% |
| Boswell | 1,197 | −2.1% | 1.7% |
| Central City | 954 | −3.5% | 1.3% |
| Paint | 875 | −3.3% | 1.2% |
| Rockwood | 811 | −3.5% | 1.1% |
| Confluence | 705 | −2.5% | 1.0% |
| Salisbury | 681 | −3.7% | 0.9% |
| Jennerstown | 657 | −2.8% | 0.9% |
| Hooversville | 605 | −3.7% | 0.8% |
- Garrett
- Indian Lake
- Stoystown
- Ursina
- Addison
- Wellersburg
- Shanksville
- Benson
- New Baltimore
- New Centerville
- Casselman
- Callimont
- Seven Springs (part)
25 incorporated places, as listed in the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 place reference files. “(part)” marks a place that extends into another county. Residents: U.S. Census Bureau population estimates for July 1, 2025 (Vintage 2025).
Somerset County, Homes
Homes in Somerset County
Of Somerset County's 37,800 homes, 73% are detached houses, against 57% across Pennsylvania; 10% are mobile homes. Half of its homes were built before 1963, close to Pennsylvania's 1965: 47% date from before 1960 and 10% 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 | Somerset County | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 37,800 | 5,779,663 |
| Detached houses | 73% | 57% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 6% | 13% |
| Mobile homes | 10% | 4% |
| Built before 1960 | 47% | 45% |
| Built since 2000 | 10% | 14% |
| Middle year built | 1963 | 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.