Below are several New York radon maps copied from the NY State web sites. The first NY radon map shows that more than half of New York, 34 out of 62 counties are considered high risk for radon gas. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in most of the world and accounts for more than 20,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the USA. The red areas in the map below are at the greatest risk for high radon. Over 50% of the homes in the red areas are predicted to have radon levels above 4.0 pCi/L. This map serves as a good guideline but all homes should be tested.
NY Radon Map, Short Term Radon Tests By Counties
What do the colors mean?
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Zone 1 counties have a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L (picocuries per liter) (red zones) | Highest Potential |
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Zone 2 counties have a predicted average indoor radon screening level between 2 and 4 pCi/L (orange zones) | Moderate Potential |
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Zone 3 counties have a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L (yellow zones) | Low Potential |
The US Surgeon General, the EPA and the NY State Department of Health and I could go on and on, all recommend taking action, if the level of radon tests at 4.0 pCi/L or higher. The action required is usually installing a radon mitigation system, the average cost of which is about $1200 to $1500 for a professionally installed system.
This is an important reason why most home buyers have a radon test done along with a home inspection prior to buying a house. As a rule, however not a law, most seller’s pay for the cost of radon mitigation either by a credit due at closing or by having the system installed prior the closing. The NY radon map below gives a little better picture of actual testing results in given areas using short term radon tests, the ones normally used in real estate transactions.
Please remember even if you have a home in the higher or lower testing areas that is by no means to determine if your house has high levels of radon or not. The only way you know is with a good radon test. See our About Radon, About Radon Testing and About Radon Mitigation pages for more information.
The Onondaga County, NY radon map below is based on long term radon tests which are generally a better representation of the actual radon level and considered more accurate.
NY Radon Map, Long Term Radon Tests By Counties
Madison Co., NY Radon Map
NY Radon Map Showing Radon Levels in Well Water (below)
NY Radon Map Links
General Radon Information by County for NY State, Website: http://ny-radon.info/NY_counties.html
NY Radon Maps, by County and Town, Website: http://www.wadsworth.org/radon/
U.S. Geological Survey, Website: http://energy.cr.usgs.gov/radon/radonhome.html
NY State Department of Health, Radiological Health/Radon
Website: www.health.ny.gov/environmental/radiological/radon/radon.htm