Locations and reports
Radon Levels in South Carolina
What this means for you
- Your area: EPA rates 1 of South Carolina's 46 classified counties Zone 1, the highest of its three radon zones. Zones are predictions for whole counties, and homes with elevated levels occur in all three zones.
- Local tests: CDC publishes South Carolina's radon test results by county. Open your county below to see its figures.
- 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.
For South Carolina, EPA's Map of Radon Zones places 1 of its 46 classified counties in Zone 1, highest predicted potential, a prediction for each county as a whole. Radon levels vary from home to home, so only a test measures the level in yours.
Predicted: EPA radon zone
46 of 46 counties classified
EPA classifies counties, not states. Of the 46 counties in South Carolina with a zone, 1 is in Zone 1, 8 in Zone 2 and 37 in Zone 3.
- Zone 1: Highest predicted potentialgreater than 4 pCi/L1 of 46 counties · 2.2%
- Zone 2: Moderate predicted potential2 to 4 pCi/L8 of 46 counties · 17.4%
- Zone 3: Lower predicted potentialless than 2 pCi/L37 of 46 counties · 80.4%
An EPA radon zone describes predicted potential across a whole county. It is not intended to determine whether any individual home should be tested, and homes with elevated levels occur in all three zones. EPA recommends testing every home regardless of zone, and testing is the only way to know the radon level in a specific building.
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.
Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Measured: tests reported to CDC
CDC publishes South Carolina's radon test figures by county: 46 of its 46 counties have one. Each county's share is in the county list.
South Carolina, In figures
South Carolina in figures
What the published data says about South Carolina, in words. A zone and a share of tests describe an area, never the level in any one home.
Predicted
PredictedEPA places 1 of South Carolina's 46 counties in Zone 1, 8 in Zone 2 and 37 in Zone 3.
The Zone 1 county: Greenville County.
Compared
Calculated by Radon4112% of South Carolina's counties with a zone on file are in Zone 1, a smaller share than across all U.S. counties (34%). It is a share of counties, not of land, people or homes.
Reported tests
MeasuredCDC has no statewide testing figure for South Carolina on file here.
46 of the 46 counties have a published county figure; the most tests in each one's latest year were reported for Greenville County (7,077 in 2017), Spartanburg County (1,665 in 2017) and Oconee County (1,035 in 2017).
Local record
South Carolina's radon program is the South Carolina Radon Program, run by South Carolina Department of Environmental Services; its contacts are under Local resources.
One city has a page setting the figures of the counties it lies in side by side: Seneca.
South Carolina, Counties
South Carolina counties by EPA zone
PredictedAll 46 counties, by the zone EPA predicts for each. Every county has its own report.
Zone 1: highest predicted potential1
Zone 2: moderate predicted potential8
- Abbeville County22.7% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Anderson County11.1% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Cherokee County13.7% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Laurens County13.9% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Oconee County42.6% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Pickens County23.6% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Spartanburg County19.1% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- York County13.6% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
Zone 3: lower predicted potential37
- Aiken County13.3% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Allendale County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Bamberg County5.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Barnwell County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Beaufort County2.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Berkeley County4.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Calhoun County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Charleston County1.5% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Chester County22.2% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Chesterfield County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Clarendon County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Colleton County9.1% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Darlington County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Dillon County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Dorchester County4.8% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Edgefield County25.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Fairfield County7.4% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Florence County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Georgetown County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Greenwood County7.1% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Hampton County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Horry County0.9% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Jasper County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Kershaw County5.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Lancaster County13.6% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Lee County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Lexington County12.5% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Marion County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Marlboro County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- McCormick County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Newberry County16.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Orangeburg County5.7% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Richland County4.9% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Saluda County16.7% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Sumter County11.9% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Union County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
- Williamsburg County0.0% of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, 2017
South Carolina, Cities
Cities in South Carolina with their own page
Radon data is published by county, not by city. Each city page sets the figures of the counties the city lies in side by side.
South Carolina, Local resources
Local resources in South Carolina
Who to ask in South Carolina: the state's radon program, test kits and professionals.
South Carolina Radon Program
South Carolina Department of Environmental Services
South Carolina’s radon program answers questions about testing, mitigation and the rules where you live.
- Phone
- 1-800-768-0362
- radon@des.sc.gov
Test kits
The program says: The South Carolina Radon Program offers free short-term radon test kits to South Carolina homeowners, subject to availability.
Radon professionals
7 professionals are listed in South Carolina.
Professionals in South CarolinaSouth Carolina, Questions
Questions about radon in South Carolina
Common questions9 questions, answered from the figures above
Is radon a problem in South Carolina?
EPA's Map of Radon Zones places 1 of the 46 South Carolina counties it classifies in Zone 1, the highest predicted potential, 8 in Zone 2 and 37 in Zone 3. An EPA radon zone describes predicted potential across a whole county. It is not intended to determine whether any individual home should be tested, and homes with elevated levels occur in all three zones. EPA recommends testing every home regardless of zone, and testing is the only way to know the radon level in a specific building.
Which South Carolina counties are in EPA radon Zone 1?
1 county is in Zone 1: Greenville County. Zone 1 is EPA's class for highest predicted potential, a predicted average indoor screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. A zone is a prediction for a county, not a measurement of any home.
Who does radon mitigation in South Carolina?
Radon411's South Carolina directory lists 7 certified radon 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.
How radon mitigation worksWhat mitigation costsRadon professionals in South Carolina
How do I get a radon test in South Carolina?
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. The South Carolina radon program is the place to ask about certified testers and any test kit offer it runs.
How to test a homeFree and low-cost kits by stateSouth Carolina radon program
Which South Carolina counties have the highest radon?
46 of South Carolina's 46 counties have an EPA radon zone published here. Radon411 will not rank counties on data it does not hold, and a zone is a prediction for an area rather than a measurement of any building.
What share of radon tests in South Carolina are high?
CDC has published no statewide radon testing statistics for South Carolina, so we cannot give a figure. Where CDC does publish one, the percentage describes radon tests reported to CDC, not homes.
Which EPA region is South Carolina in?
South Carolina is in EPA Region 4: Southeast.
Do I need to test my home in South Carolina?
Yes, wherever you live in the state. 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.
Why does this page show coverage rather than one radon level for South Carolina?
A statewide figure averages counties with very different geology and very different numbers of reported tests, so it hides more than it shows. The county report is the level at which the EPA zone, the geologic potential and the reported testing statistics are actually published, which is why the county table above links to every one of them.
What these figures mean if you own, buy, sell or rent
The zone counts on this page describe counties across South Carolina. They are predictions for areas, and none of them measures your building.
- 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.
South Carolina, Products
Testing and mitigation products
Whatever the figures for South Carolina 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.
South Carolina / 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.