Is Queens County, NY a radon risk area?

Queens County is mapped as Zone 3 - Low Potential by EPA — meaning the county-wide average indoor level is predicted below 2 pCi/L. Nationally that's the 33rd percentile for radon potential — Queens County outranks 33% of every county EPA has rated.

How Queens County compares

About 2,316,841 people live in Queens County, New York, spread over 108.724 square miles. Averaged across its land area, Queens County runs about 21,309 people per square mile. Rank 8 by population within its EPA zone puts Queens County at the 99th percentile among zone peers. EPA's geology-based Region 2 groups Queens County with 82 other counties nationally sharing its underlying rock and soil profile.

Why the zone isn't the answer by itself

At Zone 3, Queens County's predicted county average is under the national indoor average (~1.3 pCi/L) and well below EPA's 4 pCi/L action level — outdoor air nationally runs about 0.4 pCi/L for comparison. Even at Zone 3, Queens County homes are not guaranteed a low reading — zone is a county-wide average, and EPA recommends testing every home regardless of zone.

Next steps for a home in Queens County

Nothing about Queens 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

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

The methodology guide shows exactly which EPA and Census sources feed Queens County's numbers. The guide to what a radon zone actually means covers why testing matters in every zone, not just Zone 1.