Is Cherokee County, KS a radon risk area?

EPA's own radon map rates Cherokee County zone 2 - moderate potential, predicting a county-wide average indoor level between 2 and 4 pCi/L. That puts Cherokee County in the 46th percentile nationally for radon potential — higher than 46% of the counties EPA has rated.

Cherokee County by the numbers

About 19,133 people live in Cherokee County, Kansas, spread over 587.567 square miles. Averaged across its land area, Cherokee County runs about 33 people per square mile. Rank 639 by population within its EPA zone puts Cherokee County at the 38th percentile among zone peers. Cherokee County falls in EPA Radon Region 7, one of 412 counties nationally EPA assigns to that same geologic province.

Why the zone isn't the answer by itself

Call it a middle case: above the 1.3 pCi/L most US homes average, below the 4 pCi/L line EPA uses to recommend mitigation — that's Cherokee County's Zone 2 prediction. Cherokee County's Zone 2 rating sits in the middle nationally; EPA's guidance is unchanged by that — test every home regardless of its zone.

Next steps for a home in Cherokee County

Nothing about Cherokee County's EPA zone changes the mitigation number: $800–$2,500 nationally (around $1,200 typical), set by the house's foundation rather than the county it sits in — and only relevant once a test actually clears 4 pCi/L.

Find Kansas's state radon program

Cherokee County's test kit answers today; a Airthings radon monitor keeps answering for Cherokee County over time. Affiliate link, RadonZoneCheck earns a commission there, at no extra cost to you. RADONZONE-10OFF at checkout knocks 10% off.

More on how this number was built

Cherokee County's zone, rank and region all trace back to named EPA and Census sources — the methodology guide lists exactly which ones. Whatever zone Cherokee County carries, the zone explainer covers what it does and doesn't tell you about any one house.