Is Schenectady County, NY a radon risk area?

EPA places Schenectady County in Zone 2 - Moderate Potential — a predicted county-wide average indoor radon level between 2 and 4 pCi/L, based on the geology, soil and aerial radioactivity data behind EPA's national map. Rank it against the rest of the country and Schenectady County lands in the 61st percentile for radon potential.

How Schenectady County compares

About 162,261 people live in Schenectady County, New York, spread over 204.681 square miles. Population density there runs about 793 people per square mile. Rank 144 by population within its EPA zone puts Schenectady County at the 86th percentile among zone peers. EPA's geology-based Region 2 groups Schenectady County with 82 other counties nationally sharing its underlying rock and soil profile.

What this actually means for a house in Schenectady County

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 Schenectady County's Zone 2 prediction. Schenectady County's Zone 2 rating sits in the middle nationally; EPA's guidance is unchanged by that — test every home regardless of its zone.

Testing and mitigation in Schenectady County

Nothing about Schenectady 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

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

Every figure on this page traces to EPA's own Map of Radon Zones and Census data, documented in the methodology guide. Whatever zone Schenectady County carries, the zone explainer covers what it does and doesn't tell you about any one house.