What EPA's radon map says about Taos County

EPA places Taos 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. That puts Taos County in the 86th percentile nationally for radon potential — higher than 86% of the counties EPA has rated.

How Taos County compares

About 34,482 people live in Taos County, New Mexico, spread over 2,202.373 square miles. Averaged across its land area, Taos County runs about 16 people per square mile. Among counties sharing Taos County's EPA zone, it outranks 60% of them by population. Taos County falls in EPA Radon Region 6, one of 503 counties nationally EPA assigns to that same geologic province.

Zone vs. an actual test

Fixing a home becomes an EPA recommendation past 4 pCi/L, and that is precisely the side of the line Taos County's Zone 1 prediction lands on, well above the roughly 1.3 pCi/L most US homes average. A Zone 1 rating means testing is worth doing sooner rather than later, but it is still county-wide average, not a reading for any single house — some homes in Taos County will test well under the action level, and EPA's guidance is to test regardless of zone.

If Taos County tests above the action level

Mitigation cost doesn't depend on Taos County's zone — it depends on the house's foundation. A typical system runs $800–$2,500 (about $1,200 typical), and testing first is what tells you whether that's needed at all.

Find New Mexico's state radon program

Taos County's test kit answers today; a Airthings radon monitor keeps answering for Taos County over time. Affiliate link, RadonZoneCheck earns a commission there, at no extra cost to you. Use code RADONZONE-10OFF at checkout for 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 Taos County carries, the zone explainer covers what it does and doesn't tell you about any one house.