Long-term kit
RL416 long-term radon test kit, lab fee included
- Lab fee included
Method: Alpha track
In home: 90 days to 12 months
Locations and reports
Radon Levels in Wythe County, Virginia
EPA puts Wythe County in Zone 1, its highest radon zone, and high results are common there: 65.5% of the 119 radon tests reported to CDC (2008 to 2017, laboratory totals) 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
65.5%
35.1 pts above VA
- Wythe
- 65.5%
- Virginia
- 30.4%
119 tests, 2008 to 2017
Median result
6.0pCi/L
Action level reached
- Wythe
- 6.0 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2008 to 2017
Tests reported
119
55th of 84 by tests
- Wythe
- 119
- Fairfax
- 8,657
Reported to CDC before any fix, 2008 to 2017
EPA radon zone
Zone 1
Highest potential
- Zone 1
- 2
- 3
1 highest, 3 lowest
EPA predicts over 4 pCi/L indoors
Rank in Virginia
2 of 84
Top quarter
- Wythe
- 65.5%
- Russell
- 67.3%
By share, of 84 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Wythe County
Starts at Wythe County's median, 6.0 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 6.0 pCi/L
At or above 4 pCi/L
- Under 20 to 1.9 pCi/L
- 2 to 4consider a fix
- 4 and aboveEPA says fix it
This result is at or above 4 pCi/L. EPA recommends fixing a home when the radon level is 4 pCi/L or higher. Wythe County's median reported result, 2008 to 2017.
The data
Wythe County, At a glance
Wythe County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 1: highest predicted potential
EPA puts all of Wythe County in
USGS geologic potential: High across 100% of the county's area
Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Measured: tests reported to CDC
Radon tests reported for Wythe County, 2008 to 2017, laboratory
Under 2 pCi/L: 13%2 to 4 pCi/L: 22%4 pCi/L and above: 65%
Of 119 pre-mitigation tests reported to CDC, not homes in this area.
| Result band | Tests Measured | Share Measured |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 pCi/L | 15 | 12.6% |
| 2 to 4 pCi/L | 26 | 21.8% |
| 4 pCi/L and above | 78 | 65.5% |
What these figures count
These are the 119 tests reported to CDC for Wythe County over 2008 to 2017 (laboratory totals), 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: 2008 to 2017, laboratory. Measured data period: 2005 to 2017 (every CDC figure on file).
Wythe County, Compared
Wythe County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411More than half: 65.5% of the 119 radon tests reported to CDC for Wythe County over the 2008 to 2017 laboratory totals read at least 4 pCi/L. That places it 2nd of 84 Virginia counties with 30 or more tests for the same period. That is 35.1 points above the 30.4% pooled from 131 Virginia counties.
The median result, 6.0 pCi/L, sits above EPA's 4 pCi/L action level, and the top reported result was 182.2 pCi/L. The rest split 12.6% under 2 pCi/L and 21.8% from 2 to 4 (Virginia: 44.7% and 24.9%). Zone 1 on EPA's map (predicted average above 4 pCi/L) and a 65.5% share point the same way here.
No bordering county with a figure for the same period reported a higher share; the closest is Carroll County at 61.8%, the lowest Grayson County at 44.7%. Statewide for the same period, Russell County reported the highest share (67.3%) and Norfolk city the lowest (2.7%).
CDC's ten-year totals for Wythe County went from 120 tests (2005 to 2014) to 119 (2008 to 2017), the share going from 63.3% to 65.5%.
Nationally, every county with a figure for the same period pools to 35.7%; Wythe County sits 29.8 points above it. CDC also counts 11 tests taken after mitigation in Wythe County for the same period: tests in homes where a fix was already in.
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Wythe County, Geology
The ground under Wythe County
PredictedMost of the ground under Wythe County is one class on USGS's geologic map: 99.8% of its land is high radon potential, with 0.2% moderate. All of it lies in the area the map calls Valley and Ridge, to which USGS gives a radon index of 15, in the high band (12 to 17).
| Area | The rock, in USGS's words | Potential | Radon index | Share of land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley and Ridge | Cambrian dolomite, limestone, shale, and sandstone, Silurian-Ordovician limestone, dolomite, shale, and sandstone, Mississippian-Devonian sandstone, shale, limestone, gypsum, and coal. | High | 15 | 99.8% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
Wythe County beside the ground around it
Wythe County has more high-potential ground than Virginia as a whole: 99.8% of its land against 47.9%. Of the 5 counties that border it, 1 has more high-potential ground, Bland County the most at 100%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
Wythe County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Wythe County
- VDH Radon ProgramVDH Radon Program answers questions about testing, mitigation and the rules in Virginia.Visit the program’s page(opens in a new tab)
- Free and low-cost kitsAsk the program whether it has free or discounted kits, or compare kits you can buy.
- Compare kits
- Professionals in Virginia2 professionals are listed in Virginia.
What Virginia's program says
- Phone
- (804) 864-8161
- Radon@vdh.virginia.gov
- Licensing of radon professionals
The Code of Virginia requires that Radon testers and mitigators be currently certified by either the National Radon Proficiency Program (NRPP) or the National Radon Safety Board (NRSB).
What it means
Wythe County, Questions
Questions about radon in Wythe County
Are radon levels high in Wythe County?
Over the 2008 to 2017 laboratory totals, 65.5% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Wythe County, Virginia were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 6.0 pCi/L. Of 84 Virginia counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 1 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 30.4%.
Which counties border Wythe County?
Wythe County borders 5 counties: Bland County, Grayson County, Pulaski County, Carroll County and Smyth County.
Products
Wythe County, Products
Testing a home in Wythe County
In Wythe County, 65.5% of 119 tests reported to CDC over the 2008 to 2017 laboratory totals reached 4 pCi/L, against 30.4% pooled across Virginia. In Zone 1 the year-round level in Wythe 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
Monitor
EcoQube Wi-Fi continuous radon monitor
- C-NRPP 2024/25: Approved
- Plug-in
- Wi-Fi
- App only
Method: Ion chamber
First reading: Within 10 minutes
Short-term kit
Air Chek Short-Term radon test kit you hang, lab fee included
- Lab fee included
In home: 72 to 168 hours
- See every kit and monitor Test kits and monitors
Test kits and monitors: 1 of 3
Wythe County is in EPA Zone 1, the highest predicted radon potential. Best radon monitors for Zone 1 counties like Wythe County
Explore
Wythe County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Wythe County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Carroll CountyEPA zone 2
61.8%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 5.0 pCi/L · 89 tests · 3.7 points below Wythe County
- Radon levels in Smyth CountyEPA zone 1
61.0%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 5.5 pCi/L · 123 tests · 4.5 points below Wythe County
- Radon levels in Pulaski CountyEPA zone 1
49.6%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.9 pCi/L · 268 tests · 15.9 points below Wythe County
- Radon levels in Bland CountyEPA zone 1
46.2%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.6 pCi/L · 13 tests · 19.3 points below Wythe County
- Radon levels in Grayson CountyEPA zone 2
44.7%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.8 pCi/L · 47 tests · 20.8 points below Wythe County
Wythe County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Wythe County
About 27,983 people live in Wythe County by the Census Bureau's estimate for July 1, 2025, 341 fewer than in 2020 (−1.2%). That works out to 61 people per square mile of land. Its largest town, Wytheville, has 8,128 residents, 29.0% of the total. Together its 2 incorporated places hold 34.5% of those residents; the other 65.5% live outside any of them. CDC's 119 reported tests for 2008 to 2017 work out to 4.3 per 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), close to Virginia's 6.0.
From Wytheville to Rural Retreat, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Wythe County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wytheville | 8,128 | −1.7% | 29.0% |
| Rural Retreat | 1,521 | −1.4% | 5.4% |
2 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).
Wythe County, Homes
Homes in Wythe County
Of Wythe County's 14,016 homes, 70% are detached houses, against 61% across Virginia; 18% are mobile homes. Half of its homes were built before 1978, close to Virginia's 1984: 25% date from before 1960 and 21% from 2000 or later. Owners live in 77% of the occupied homes (Virginia: 67%), so for most households a test and a fix are their own to order.
| Homes | Wythe County | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 14,016 | 3,654,784 |
| Detached houses | 70% | 61% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 6% | 19% |
| Mobile homes | 18% | 4% |
| Built before 1960 | 25% | 19% |
| Built since 2000 | 21% | 25% |
| Middle year built | 1978 | 1984 |
| Owner-occupied | 77% | 67% |
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.