Piscataquis County, ME: EPA's radon zone, explained

EPA places Piscataquis County in Zone 1 - Highest Potential — a predicted county-wide average indoor radon level above 4 pCi/L, based on the geology, soil and aerial radioactivity data behind EPA's national map. Nationally that's the 81st percentile for radon potential — Piscataquis County outranks 81% of every county EPA has rated.

How Piscataquis County compares

Piscataquis County, Maine is home to about 17,432 people across 3,960.847 square miles. Averaged across its land area, Piscataquis County runs about 4 people per square mile. By population, Piscataquis County is the 607th largest of every county sharing its EPA zone — the 43rd percentile by population within that zone. EPA's geology-based Region 1 groups Piscataquis County with 58 other counties nationally sharing its underlying rock and soil profile.

What this actually means for a house in Piscataquis County

Outdoor air nationally averages about 0.4 pCi/L, indoor air about 1.3 pCi/L — Piscataquis County's Zone 1 prediction clears both of those and EPA's fix-it threshold besides. EPA's guidance doesn't change because of a Zone 1 label: test the house. What changes is the reason to not put it off in Piscataquis County specifically.

Testing and mitigation in Piscataquis County

For a Piscataquis 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 Maine's state radon program

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

Where Piscataquis County's figures come from

Piscataquis County's zone, rank and region all trace back to named EPA and Census sources — the methodology guide lists exactly which ones. If you're unsure why a low zone still deserves a test, the zone explainer covers that directly.