Radon levels in Chicago, Illinois
LowEPA Zone 2Predicted long-term basement average of 1.0 pCi/L (model estimate) across the 57 modeled ZIP codes in Chicago - about 45% below the US average of 1.8, about 47% below the Illinois average of 1.9. Ranked #33 of 34 Illinois cities on this site. Most of the city lies in Cook County (its ZIPs also reach into 1 other county).
Test Chicago, IL once anyway - radon varies house to house
The predicted basement average here is 1.0 pCi/L, below the EPA's 2 pCi/L "consider fixing" threshold. That's good news for the area - but the EPA still recommends every home be tested, because foundation cracks, soil pockets and ventilation make one house very different from its neighbor. One inexpensive kit settles it.
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Predicted (model estimate). The pCi/L figures on this page are long-term area averages from a peer-reviewed national model built on millions of real radon tests (2001-2021). They describe the typical home in this area - not your home, which can be several times higher or lower. The EPA radon zone is a separate, 1993 county-level classification. How the numbers work.
1.0 ± 0.09
pCi/L predicted basement mean (model SD)
0.7 ± 0.10
pCi/L predicted upstairs (above-ground) mean
0.5-1.6
range of ZIP-level basement predictions in the city
0%
of Chicago ZIPs predicted ≥ 4 pCi/L (0% ≥ 2)
What this means for Chicago
The typical Chicago home is predicted below 2 pCi/L, the lowest band. That describes the average house; the ZIP-level predictions inside the city still span 0.5 to 1.6 pCi/L.
The city figure is not a separate estimate: it is the mean of the model's ZIP-code predictions, weighted by the share of the city's land in each ZIP (Census 2020 ZCTA-to-place relationship file). Note that the EPA classifies Cook County as Zone 2 while the newer model predicts 1.0 pCi/L for Chicago; where they disagree, we grade on the model but show both.
Comparable Illinois cities: Evanston (0.9), Cicero (1.1), Oak Park (1.1), Skokie (1.2).
ZIP codes in Chicago
ZIPs that overlap the city, largest share of its land first. Predicted basement and upstairs means are model estimates; ZIPs the model does not cover show a dash.
| ZIP | Share of city | Basement | Upstairs | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60617 | 6% | 0.5 ± 0.14 | 0.5 | Low |
| 60628 | 5% | 1.1 ± 0.07 | 0.7 | Low |
| 60018 | 4% | 1.4 ± 0.06 | 1.1 | Low |
| 60633 | 4% | 1.1 ± 0.07 | 0.7 | Low |
| 60609 | 3% | 0.9 ± 0.07 | 0.6 | Low |
| 60632 | 3% | 1.0 ± 0.07 | 0.7 | Low |
| 60643 | 3% | 1.6 ± 0.08 | 1.0 | Low |
| 60634 | 3% | 1.3 ± 0.06 | 0.9 | Low |
| 60620 | 3% | 1.1 ± 0.09 | 0.7 | Low |
| 60629 | 3% | 1.1 ± 0.08 | 0.7 | Low |
| 60608 | 3% | 0.8 ± 0.09 | 0.7 | Low |
| 60619 | 3% | 0.6 ± 0.10 | 0.5 | Low |
| 60638 | 3% | 1.2 ± 0.09 | 0.9 | Low |
| 60623 | 2% | 0.7 ± 0.09 | 0.7 | Low |
| 60618 | 2% | 1.2 ± 0.07 | 0.8 | Low |
| 60639 | 2% | 1.1 ± 0.08 | 0.9 | Low |
| 60630 | 2% | 1.3 ± 0.07 | 0.9 | Low |
| 60652 | 2% | 1.2 ± 0.07 | 0.9 | Low |
| 60637 | 2% | 0.7 ± 0.09 | 0.5 | Low |
| 60646 | 2% | 1.1 ± 0.14 | 0.9 | Low |
| 60641 | 2% | 1.2 ± 0.07 | 0.8 | Low |
| 60655 | 2% | 1.2 ± 0.07 | 0.9 | Low |
| 60616 | 2% | 0.7 ± 0.13 | 0.6 | Low |
| 60621 | 2% | 0.8 ± 0.09 | 0.5 | Low |
| 60625 | 2% | 1.0 ± 0.12 | 0.7 | Low |
| 60636 | 2% | 1.1 ± 0.07 | 0.7 | Low |
| 60647 | 2% | 1.1 ± 0.14 | 0.7 | Low |
| 60612 | 2% | 0.6 ± 0.15 | 0.6 | Low |
| 60624 | 2% | 0.7 ± 0.21 | 0.7 | Low |
| 60631 | 2% | 1.3 ± 0.08 | 1.1 | Low |
| 60649 | 2% | 0.7 ± 0.12 | 0.5 | Low |
| 60644 | 2% | 1.0 ± 0.09 | 0.7 | Low |
| 60651 | 2% | 1.1 ± 0.10 | 0.7 | Low |
| 60614 | 1% | 0.8 ± 0.15 | 0.6 | Low |
| 60656 | 1% | 1.1 ± 0.07 | 0.8 | Low |
| 60106 | 1% | 1.6 ± 0.06 | 1.1 | Low |
| 60622 | 1% | 0.9 ± 0.09 | 0.7 | Low |
| 60607 | 1% | 0.8 ± 0.11 | 0.6 | Low |
| 60613 | 1% | 0.9 ± 0.09 | 0.6 | Low |
| 60615 | 1% | 0.9 ± 0.07 | 0.6 | Low |
| 60640 | 1% | 0.8 ± 0.09 | 0.5 | Low |
| 60645 | 1% | 0.9 ± 0.08 | 0.7 | Low |
| 60653 | 1% | 0.9 ± 0.07 | 0.6 | Low |
| 60657 | 1% | 0.9 ± 0.09 | 0.6 | Low |
| 60659 | 1% | 0.9 ± 0.07 | 0.6 | Low |
| 60626 | 1% | 0.8 ± 0.08 | 0.5 | Low |
| 60642 | 1% | 0.8 ± 0.11 | 0.6 | Low |
| 60707 | 1% | 1.2 ± 0.06 | 0.9 | Low |
| 60827 | 1% | 0.9 ± 0.06 | 0.7 | Low |
| 60605 | 1% | 0.9 ± 0.09 | 0.6 | Low |
| 60660 | 1% | 0.8 ± 0.08 | 0.5 | Low |
| 60610 | 1% | 0.9 ± 0.12 | 0.6 | Low |
| 60611 | <1% | 0.9 ± 0.11 | 0.5 | Low |
| 60601 | <1% | 0.9 ± 0.09 | 0.4 | Low |
| 60654 | <1% | 0.9 ± 0.10 | 0.6 | Low |
| 60603 | <1% | 0.9 ± 0.08 | 0.5 | Low |
| 60606 | <1% | 0.9 ± 0.10 | 0.5 | Low |
| 60661 | <1% | — | — | no model |
| 60602 | <1% | — | — | no model |
| 60604 | <1% | — | — | no model |
Testing help in Illinois
Illinois's radon program page is at iemaohs.illinois.gov and, when we checked it, offered low-cost test kits. EPA state radon contacts page. If a test comes back at 4 pCi/L or higher, mitigation typically costs $800-$2,500 installed; use EPA find-a-professional and read the mitigation guide.
Chicago radon questions
- Is radon high in Chicago, Illinois?
- Low. Averaging the model's ZIP-code predictions across Chicago (weighted by how much of the city each ZIP covers) gives a long-term basement mean of 1.0 pCi/L - about 45% below the US average of 1.8 and about 47% below the Illinois average of 1.9. That is below the EPA's 2 pCi/L "consider fixing" threshold, though individual homes still vary. Chicago ranks 33 of 34 Illinois cities on this site.
- Which Chicago ZIP codes have the highest radon?
- Predictions for the 57 modeled ZIP codes in Chicago range from 0.5 to 1.6 pCi/L in the basement. 0% of them are predicted at or above 4 pCi/L and 0% at or above 2. That spread is why the ZIP table below matters more than the city-wide number.
- Should I test for radon in Chicago?
- Yes, once. The EPA recommends testing every home regardless of area. A short-term kit costs little and settles the question for your house; Chicago's low predicted average describes the typical home, not yours.
- What does EPA Radon Zone 2 mean for Chicago?
- Chicago sits mainly in Cook County, which the EPA classifies as Zone 2 - moderate potential (2-4 pCi/L). The zone map dates from 1993 and covers whole counties. The newer model's city average of 1.0 pCi/L does not line up with Zone 2, which is common - the EPA itself says high-radon homes exist in every zone. Neither replaces a test of your own home.
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