Is Van Buren County, IA a radon risk area?
Van Buren County is mapped as Zone 1 - Highest Potential by EPA — meaning the county-wide average indoor level is predicted above 4 pCi/L. Van Buren County sits at the 73rd percentile nationally for radon potential — above 73 of every 100 rated counties.
Where Van Buren County sits nationally
About 7,217 people live in Van Buren County, Iowa, spread over 484.792 square miles. Averaged across its land area, Van Buren County runs about 15 people per square mile. Rank 839 by population within its EPA zone puts Van Buren County at the 21st percentile among zone peers. Geologically, Van Buren County is grouped into EPA Region 7 alongside 411 other counties that share its rock and soil setting.
Why the zone isn't the answer by itself
Van Buren County's predicted average sits above EPA's own action level of 4 pCi/L — the concentration at which EPA recommends fixing a home — versus a national average around 1.3 pCi/L indoors and 0.4 pCi/L outdoors. Being in Zone 1 raises the odds Van Buren County homes test above the action level, but it does not mean any specific house does — EPA recommends every home be tested, in every zone, because the only way to know is to test.
Testing and mitigation in Van Buren County
Nothing about Van Buren 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 Iowa's state radon program
Van Buren County's test kit answers today; a Airthings radon monitor keeps answering for Van Buren County over time. Affiliate link, RadonZoneCheck earns a commission there, at no extra cost to you. Code RADONZONE-10OFF takes 10% off at checkout.
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. The guide to what a radon zone actually means covers why testing matters in every zone, not just Zone 1.