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Radon Levels in Aitkin County, Minnesota

EPA puts Aitkin County in Zone 2, its middle radon zone, and 38.7% of its 31 reported radon tests (2023) were at or above 4 pCi/L. Homes with elevated levels occur in all three zones, so only a test measures yours.

Data checked By Radon411Methodology

How to test this homeFind a certified tester

  • Share at 4+ pCi/L

    38.7%

    4.1 pts above MN

    Aitkin
    38.7%
    Minnesota
    34.6%

    31 tests, 2023

  • Median result

    3.1pCi/L

    Below action level

    Aitkin
    3.1 pCi/L
    EPA
    4.0 pCi/L

    Midpoint of the tests, 2023

  • Tests reported

    31

    61st of 62 by tests

    Aitkin
    31
    Hennepin
    6,545

    Reported to CDC before any fix, 2023

  • EPA radon zone

    Zone 2

    Moderate potential

    1. 1
    2. Zone 2
    3. 3

    1 highest, 3 lowest

    EPA predicts 2 to 4 pCi/L indoors

  • Rank in Minnesota

    43 of 62

    Middle half

    Aitkin
    38.7%
    Renville
    75.7%

    By share, of 62 with 30+ tests

Read a result for Aitkin County

Starts at Aitkin County's median, 3.1 pCi/L

3.1pCi/L

EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.

EPA’s reading of 3.1 pCi/L

Between 2 and 4 pCi/L

  1. Under 20 to 1.9 pCi/L
  2. 2 to 4consider a fix
  3. 4 and aboveEPA says fix it

This result is between 2 and 4 pCi/L. EPA recommends considering a fix when the level is between 2 and 4 pCi/L. Aitkin County's median reported result, 2023.

Interpret this readingWhat a fix costs

The data

Aitkin County, At a glance

Aitkin County at a glance

Predicted: EPA radon zone

EPA Zone 2: moderate predicted potential

Aitkin County is a county: EPA's forecast for it as a whole is an average indoor of 2 to 4 pCi/L (75 to 150 Bq/m³). It describes no single address, and homes above EPA's are found in every zone, this one included.

USGS geologic potential: Moderate across 100% of the county's area

Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones

Measured: tests reported to CDC

Radon tests reported for Aitkin County, 2023

Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, by year, Aitkin County
Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, by year, Aitkin County
YearShare of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L
201425.4%
201544.0%
201646.3%
201740.6%
201833.3%
201945.2%
202028.0%
202130.3%
202227.7%
202338.7%

2023: 38.7%. Across these years the share ran from 25.4% to 46.3%. Each column counts radon tests reported to CDC that year, not homes.

What these figures count

These are the 31 tests reported to CDC for Aitkin County over 2023, many from homes being sold or already suspected of a problem: they describe the county's reported tests, not this house.

Measured: CDC tracking data. Figure above: 2023. Measured data period: 2005 to 2023 (every CDC figure on file).

How to read these figures

Aitkin County, Compared

Aitkin County radon figures, compared

Calculated by Radon411

In Aitkin County, about 4 in 10 reported tests in 2023 (12 of 31) were at or above EPA's action level. Against the national pool of 33.4%, the gap is 5.3 points higher. Across 86 Minnesota counties pooled together, 34.6% of tests reached that level, so Aitkin County runs 4.1 points above its state.

Of 6 neighbours with a figure, 2 reported a larger share at or above 4 pCi/L and 4 a smaller one; the spread is 20.2% (St. Louis County) to 41.9% (Carlton County). By share, Aitkin County is 43rd of 62 Minnesota counties with 30 or more tests for the same period.

Year by year, 2014 opened at 25.4% and 2023 closed at 38.7% (up 13.3 points), with 2016 the high at 46.3%. Half the tests came in under 3.1 pCi/L and half over it; the single highest reached 8.2 pCi/L. Below the action level, 12 tests (38.7%) came in under 2 pCi/L, against 36.6% statewide, and 7 tests (22.6%) fell between 2 and 4, against 28.9% statewide.

Zone 2 on EPA's map (predicted average between 2 and 4 pCi/L) and a 38.7% share point the same way here. USGS geology rates 100% of the county's land moderate radon potential.

The busiest year on file was 2015, with 75 tests reported; the quietest, 2023, had 31.

Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L by year, Aitkin County against Minnesota2014 to 2023, years with 30 or more tests: Aitkin County 25.4% to 38.7%, the state's pooled share 34.6% in 2023.
Aitkin CountyMinnesota, pooled
Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L by year, Aitkin County against Minnesota: data table
YearTestsAitkin County, at or above 4 pCi/LMinnesota, pooled
20146325.4%42.9%
20157544.0%43.6%
20164146.3%37.0%
20176440.6%38.2%
20186033.3%38.3%
20193145.2%36.1%
20205028.0%31.8%
20213330.3%33.1%
20224727.7%31.6%
20233138.7%34.6%
Aitkin County against Minnesota, the United States and nearby counties, 2023
AreaTestsAt or above 4 pCi/LMedianDifference from Aitkin County
Aitkin County3138.7%3.1 pCi/LThis county
Minnesota, pooled86 counties, pooled22,44934.6%Not pooled−4.1 points
United States, pooled642 counties, pooled128,74033.4%Not pooled−5.3 points
Renville Countyhighest in the state3775.7%6.3 pCi/L+37.0 points
Lake Countylowest in the state783.8%1.3 pCi/L−34.9 points
Carlton County, MNborders it10541.9%3.1 pCi/L+3.2 points
Pine County, MNborders it4839.6%2.5 pCi/L+0.9 points
Mille Lacs County, MNborders it2133.3%2.6 pCi/L−5.4 points
Crow Wing County, MNborders it17730.5%2.7 pCi/L−8.2 points
Kanabec County, MNborders it2528.0%2.9 pCi/L−10.7 points
Itasca County, MNborders it13726.3%1.9 pCi/L−12.4 points
Cass County, MNborders it10625.5%2.3 pCi/L−13.2 points
St. Louis County, MNborders it49620.2%1.7 pCi/L−18.5 points
Where Aitkin County's reported results fell, 2023, beside Minnesota and the United States
ResultAitkin County testsAitkin County shareMinnesota shareU.S. shareAgainst Minnesota
Under 2 pCi/L1238.7%36.6%41.4%+2.1 points
2 to 4 pCi/L722.6%28.9%25.2%−6.3 points
4 pCi/L and above1238.7%34.6%33.4%+4.1 points
Aitkin County ranked among the 62 Minnesota counties with 30 or more tests, by share at or above 4 pCi/L, 2023
CountyRankTestsAt or above 4 pCi/LMedian
Scott County38 of 6266941.4%3.4 pCi/L
Beltrami County39 of 625440.7%3.0 pCi/L
Rice County40 of 6229740.4%3.2 pCi/L
Pine County41 of 624839.6%2.5 pCi/L
Winona County42 of 6213938.8%3.0 pCi/L
Aitkin County43 of 623138.7%3.1 pCi/L
Morrison County44 of 626235.5%3.0 pCi/L
Chisago County45 of 6216634.9%2.9 pCi/L
Dakota County46 of 622,18334.6%2.9 pCi/L
Carver County47 of 6248934.6%2.8 pCi/L
Blue Earth County48 of 6239232.7%2.2 pCi/L
Aitkin County radon tests by year, against Minnesota's pooled share
YearTestsAt or above 4 pCi/LMedianHighestMinnesota, pooledChange from the row before
20233138.7%3.1 pCi/L8.2 pCi/L34.6%+11.0 points
20224727.7%2.7 pCi/L11.0 pCi/L31.6%−2.6 points
20213330.3%2.4 pCi/L19.0 pCi/L33.1%+2.3 points
20205028.0%2.0 pCi/L12.9 pCi/L31.8%−17.2 points
20193145.2%3.0 pCi/L18.4 pCi/L36.1%+11.9 points
20186033.3%2.4 pCi/L17.4 pCi/L38.3%−7.3 points
20176440.6%3.1 pCi/L36.4 pCi/L38.2%−5.7 points
20164146.3%3.4 pCi/L27.4 pCi/L37.0%+2.3 points
20157544.0%3.3 pCi/L29.5 pCi/L43.6%+18.6 points
20146325.4%2.5 pCi/L16.9 pCi/L42.9%First on file

Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.

Aitkin County, State data

Minnesota's own radon test data

Measured

What Minnesota's own agencies publish about radon tests in Aitkin County, with their period. These are not CDC's figures and are never added to them.

MeasuredState figures, not CDC's

What the Minnesota Department of Health reports for Aitkin County

Radon Testing (MN Public Health Data Access Portal): home radon tests reported voluntarily by private laboratories and licensed radon measurement professionals, counted by property. Period: 2016-2025.

Share with one or more tests at or above 4 pCi/L

32.8%

107 properties tested with one or more tests at or above 4 pCi/L

Median result

2.5 pCi/L

Average result

3.4 pCi/L

Tests behind these figures

33 properties tested a year on average

  • MDH says these data do not include all of the radon tests conducted in Minnesota.
  • Post-mitigation tests are excluded from the averages and the median; the percentages use each property's highest test.
  • Each home is unique and can have very different results than a neighbor's home; the only way to know is to test.
  • These figures describe tests reported to the Minnesota Department of Health in this area. They count a different set of tests than CDC's figures and are not a reading of any one home.

Measured: Minnesota Department of Health data, 2016-2025.

Aitkin County, Geology

The ground under Aitkin County

Predicted

USGS's geologic map puts all of Aitkin County's mapped land in one class: moderate radon potential. The map puts 75.3% of Aitkin County in the area it calls Lake Agassiz Plain/Central Lowland-Western Lake Section and 24.7% in Superior Upland/Central Lowland-Western Lake Section. USGS gives both a radon index of 10, in the moderate band (9 to 11).

USGS's geologic areas under Aitkin County
AreaThe rock, in USGS's wordsPotentialRadon indexShare of land
Lake Agassiz Plain/Central Lowland-Western Lake SectionSilty and clayey glacial deposits and lake deposits.Moderate1075.3%
Superior Upland/Central Lowland-Western Lake SectionGlacial deposits derived primarily from volcanic rock.Moderate1024.7%

Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.

Aitkin County beside the ground around it

Across Minnesota 61.1% of the land is rated high; none of Aitkin County's is. Of the 8 counties that border it, 5 have more high-potential ground, Cass County the most at 45.3%.

Share of land by USGS radon potential: Aitkin County, the 8 counties bordering it and Minnesota
AreaEPA zoneLow potentialModerate potentialHigh potential
Aitkin CountyZone 2None100%None
Crow Wing CountyZone 2None99.0%1.0%
Carlton CountyZone 2None100%None
Cass CountyZone 2None54.7%45.3%
Pine CountyZone 2None88.3%11.7%
Mille Lacs CountyZone 2None95.2%4.8%
Kanabec CountyZone 1None98.7%1.3%
Itasca CountyZone 2None100%None
St. Louis CountyZone 2None99.9%None
Minnesota87 counties, pooled by land areaVariesNone38.9%61.1%

The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.

Local help

Aitkin County, Local resources

Radon testing and mitigation in Aitkin County

What Minnesota's program says
Phone
651-201-4601
Email
health.indoorair@state.mn.us
Licensing of radon professionals
The Radon Licensing Act requires anyone who performs a radon test or radon mitigation, in a building they do not own or lease, must be licensed by MDH.
Disclosure when a home is sold or rented
The Minnesota Radon Awareness Act requires specific disclosure and education be provided to potential home buyers during residential real estate transactions in Minnesota.

What it means

Aitkin County, Questions

Questions about radon in Aitkin County

Are radon levels high in Aitkin County?

In 2023, 38.7% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Aitkin County, Minnesota were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 3.1 pCi/L. Of 62 Minnesota counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 42 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 34.6%.

Which counties border Aitkin County?

Aitkin County borders 8 counties: Crow Wing County, Carlton County, Cass County, Pine County, Mille Lacs County, Kanabec County, Itasca County and St. Louis County.

Products

Aitkin County, Products

Testing a home in Aitkin County

In Aitkin County, 38.7% of 31 tests reported to CDC in 2023 reached 4 pCi/L, against 34.6% pooled across Minnesota. In Zone 2 a short-term kit (2 to 90 days) is the quick first check in Aitkin County; a long-term test tells the year-round average.

Test kits and monitors3

See every kit and monitor

Best radon monitors for Aitkin County homes, compared

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Aitkin County, Bordering counties

Counties bordering Aitkin County

Calculated by Radon411

Aitkin County, Cities and towns

Cities and towns in Aitkin County

The Census Bureau estimates 16,252 residents in Aitkin County for July 1, 2025, 544 more than in 2020 (+3.5%). Spread over its land, that is 8.9 people to the square mile. No town dominates: Aitkin, the largest, has 2,155 residents, 13.3% of the total. Together its 6 incorporated places hold 21.0% of those residents; the other 79.0% live outside any of them. Reported testing is thin here: 31 tests over 2023, or 1.9 for every 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), where Minnesota as a whole comes to 3.9.

From Aitkin to McGrath, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Aitkin County's.

The cities and towns in Aitkin County by residents, July 1, 2025
PlaceResidentsSince 2020Share of residents
Aitkin2,155−0.6%13.3%
Hill City607−0.8%3.7%
McGregor374−1.6%2.3%
Palisade168+3.1%1.0%
Tamarack59+3.5%0.4%
McGrath42Level0.3%

6 incorporated places, as listed in the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 place reference files. Residents: U.S. Census Bureau population estimates for July 1, 2025 (Vintage 2025).

Aitkin County, Homes

Homes in Aitkin County

Aitkin County is a place of houses on their own lots: 83% of its 14,203 homes are detached single-family houses, against 66% across Minnesota. Half of its homes were built before 1982, close to Minnesota's 1978: 22% date from before 1960 and 26% from 2000 or later. Owners live in 85% of the occupied homes (Minnesota: 72%), so for most households a test and a fix are their own to order.

Homes in Aitkin County, Minnesota, 2019 to 2023
HomesAitkin CountyMinnesota
Housing units14,2032,519,538
Detached houses83%66%
In buildings of 5 or more4%19%
Mobile homes11%3%
Built before 196022%29%
Built since 200026%22%
Middle year built19821978
Owner-occupied85%72%

Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.