Is Franklin County, NY a radon risk area?

EPA's own radon map rates Franklin County zone 3 - low potential, predicting a county-wide average indoor level below 2 pCi/L. Nationally that's the 22nd percentile for radon potential — Franklin County outranks 22% of every county EPA has rated.

Franklin County by the numbers

About 47,086 people live in Franklin County, New York, spread over 1,629.3 square miles. Averaged across its land area, Franklin County runs about 29 people per square mile. Rank 357 by population within its EPA zone puts Franklin County at the 65th percentile among zone peers. Geologically, Franklin County is grouped into EPA Region 2 alongside 82 other counties that share its rock and soil setting.

Zone vs. an actual test

Franklin County's Zone 3 prediction undercuts the roughly 1.3 pCi/L most US homes average, nowhere near EPA's 4 pCi/L threshold for recommending mitigation. Low doesn't mean zero: EPA's own data shows homes in Zone 3 counties like Franklin County testing above the action level often enough that skipping a test isn't the safe assumption.

If Franklin County tests above the action level

Nothing about Franklin 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 New York's state radon program

Franklin County's test kit answers today; a Airthings radon monitor keeps answering for Franklin 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

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