Dare County, NC: EPA's radon zone, explained

EPA's own radon map rates Dare County zone 3 - low potential, predicting a county-wide average indoor level below 2 pCi/L. That puts Dare County in the 20th percentile nationally for radon potential — higher than 20% of the counties EPA has rated.

Dare County by the numbers

Dare County, North Carolina is home to about 38,183 people across 383.229 square miles. That works out to roughly 100 people per square mile. By population, Dare County is the 418th largest of every county sharing its EPA zone — the 60th percentile by population within that zone. EPA's geology-based Region 4 groups Dare County with 735 other counties nationally sharing its underlying rock and soil profile.

What this actually means for a house in Dare County

A Zone 3 county like Dare County is predicted closer to the 0.4 pCi/L typical outdoors than to EPA's 4 pCi/L action level. Even at Zone 3, Dare County homes are not guaranteed a low reading — zone is a county-wide average, and EPA recommends testing every home regardless of zone.

If Dare County tests above the action level

For a Dare County homeowner, the order is simple: test first, since a kit costs a small fraction of what mitigation would. Only if the result clears 4 pCi/L does a system — typically $800–$2,500, about $1,200 for a common install — become worth pricing out.

Find North Carolina's state radon program

For Dare County, an ongoing number beats a one-time test - a Airthings radon monitor tracks Dare County's levels over time. RadonZoneCheck earns a commission there, at no extra cost to you. RADONZONE-10OFF at checkout knocks 10% off.

Where Dare County's figures come from

Every figure on this page traces to EPA's own Map of Radon Zones and Census data, documented in the methodology guide. If you're unsure why a low zone still deserves a test, the zone explainer covers that directly.