Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is often undetected and underestimated. It seeps into structures from the ground below, accumulating silently to potentially dangerous levels that cause lung cancer and other life-changing diseases. Even worse, our senses alone can’t detect it in our homes.
Long-term exposure to high concentrations of radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking, making it a significant, yet largely invisible, public health risk. Despite its dangers, awareness and testing remain alarmingly low, leaving many families unknowingly exposed. Understanding the risks and taking preventive measures is crucial to ensuring safer living environments, particularly in Utah, where, conservatively, one in three homes has a high radon level.
Radon levels in Northern Utah counties
Of the top 10 counties in Utah with high radon levels, nine are in Northern Utah. This includes Wasatch, Cache, Box Elder, Morgan, Tooele, Weber, Utah, Davis, and Summit counties. The average radon level of all these counties combined is 6.0 pCi/L, which is more than double the level recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for action (2.7 pCi/L).
You can view the average level for each county below.
- Wasatch County: 7.9 pCi/L
- Cache County: 7.9 pCi/L
- Box Elder County: 7.8 pCi/L
- Morgan County: 6.8 pCi/L
- Tooele County: 5.7 pCi/L
- Weber County: 5.0 pCi/L
- Utah County: 4.7 pCi/L
- Davis County: 4.3 pCi/L
- Summit County: 4.1 pCi/L
Furthermore, the top 26 Utah cities with radon levels of 2.7 or higher are all located in Northern Utah.
- Farr West 24.7 pCi/L
- Millville 16.3 pCi/L
- Wellsville 11.4 pCi/L
- Willard 10.3 pCi/L
- Eden 9.2 pCi/L
- Nibley 9.1 pCi/L
- Perry 9.0 pCi/L
- Hyde Park 8.7 pCi/L
- Hyrum 8.7 pCi/L
- Heber City 8.1 pCi/L
- Midway 8.1 pCi/L
- Brigham City 7.9 pCi/L
- Smithfield 7.9 pCi/L
- North Ogden 7.8 pCi/L
- Providence 7.8 pCi/L
- Grantsville 7.4 pCi/L
- Elk Ridge 7.1 pCi/L
- Morgan 6.9 pCi/L
- West Bountiful 6.9 pCi/L
- Centerville 6.8 pCi/L
- Salem 6.7 pCi/L
- Santaquin 6.6 pCi/L
- North Logan 6.5 pCi/L
- Farmington 6.1 pCi/L
- Lindon 6.1 pCi/L
- Alpine 6.0 pCi/L
Utah’s weather and radon
Northern Utah’s weather has a significant impact on the amount of radon that enters a home, too. Radon levels are, on average, 70% higher in the winter than summer. When the ground is cold, and especially when covered in snow, less radon can escape outdoors, which means more of it rises indoors. Additionally, people keep their windows and doors closed much more often in the winter than summer, which allows radon to concentrate more inside.
What you can do about radon
Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, but there are steps you can take to keep yourself and your family safe. Leading health organizations recommend testing your home for radon every two years, alternating between summer and winter. If your home tests high, a radon mitigation system can easily be installed to reduce radon to a lower, safer level.
Click here to receive a free radon test from UtahRadon.org.
