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Radon Levels in Benton County, Minnesota

EPA puts Benton County in Zone 2, its middle radon zone, and 23.3% of its 43 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

    23.3%

    11.3 pts below MN

    Benton
    23.3%
    Minnesota
    34.6%

    43 tests, 2023

  • Median result

    2.2pCi/L

    Below action level

    Benton
    2.2 pCi/L
    EPA
    4.0 pCi/L

    Midpoint of the tests, 2023

  • Tests reported

    43

    54th of 62 by tests

    Benton
    43
    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

    55 of 62

    Lowest quarter

    Benton
    23.3%
    Renville
    75.7%

    By share, of 62 with 30+ tests

Read a result for Benton County

Starts at Benton County's median, 2.2 pCi/L

2.2pCi/L

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

EPA’s reading of 2.2 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. Benton County's median reported result, 2023.

Interpret this readingWhat a fix costs

The data

Benton County, At a glance

Benton County at a glance

Predicted: EPA radon zone

EPA Zone 2: moderate predicted potential

Benton 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 92% of the county's area

Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones

Measured: tests reported to CDC

Radon tests reported for Benton County, 2023

Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, by year, Benton County
Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, by year, Benton County
YearShare of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L
201431.8%
201534.2%
201623.5%
201731.6%
201830.0%
201935.7%
202021.2%
202123.3%
202213.6%
202323.3%

2023: 23.3%. Across these years the share ran from 13.6% to 35.7%. Each column counts radon tests reported to CDC that year, not homes.

What these figures count

These are the 43 tests reported to CDC for Benton 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

Benton County, Compared

Benton County radon figures, compared

Calculated by Radon411

Benton County's 43 reported tests in 2023 had a middle value of 2.2 pCi/L and a maximum of 15.8 pCi/L, and 23.3% reached 4 pCi/L. Minnesota as a whole (86 Minnesota counties, pooled) comes to 34.6%: 11.3 points higher than here.

Among its state's counties it ranks 55th of 62 Minnesota counties with 30 or more tests for the same period. Statewide for the same period, Renville County reported the highest share (75.7%) and Lake County the lowest (3.8%).

Below the action level, 17 tests (39.5%) came in under 2 pCi/L, against 36.6% statewide, and 16 tests (37.2%) fell between 2 and 4, against 28.9% statewide. The busiest year on file was 2014, with 233 tests reported; the quietest, 2023, had 43.

EPA's 1993 zone map puts Benton County in Zone 2, a predicted county average between 2 and 4 pCi/L. USGS geology rates 92% of the county's land moderate radon potential.

Next door, the shares run from 21.7% in Sherburne County to 46.7% in Stearns County, with Sherburne County below Benton County. Over 10 years of annual figures the share fell 8.5 points, from 31.8% in 2014 to 23.3% in 2023; its peak was 35.7% in 2019.

Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L by year, Benton County against Minnesota2014 to 2023, years with 30 or more tests: Benton County 31.8% to 23.3%, the state's pooled share 34.6% in 2023.
Benton CountyMinnesota, pooled
Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L by year, Benton County against Minnesota: data table
YearTestsBenton County, at or above 4 pCi/LMinnesota, pooled
201423331.8%42.9%
201512034.2%43.6%
201611523.5%37.0%
20179831.6%38.2%
201810030.0%38.3%
20195635.7%36.1%
20209921.2%31.8%
202117223.3%33.1%
20226613.6%31.6%
20234323.3%34.6%
Benton County against Minnesota, the United States and nearby counties, 2023
AreaTestsAt or above 4 pCi/LMedianDifference from Benton County
Benton County4323.3%2.2 pCi/LThis county
Minnesota, pooled86 counties, pooled22,44934.6%Not pooled+11.3 points
United States, pooled642 counties, pooled128,74033.4%Not pooled+10.1 points
Renville Countyhighest in the state3775.7%6.3 pCi/L+52.4 points
Lake Countylowest in the state783.8%1.3 pCi/L−19.5 points
Stearns County, MNborders it36646.7%3.7 pCi/L+23.4 points
Morrison County, MNborders it6235.5%3.0 pCi/L+12.2 points
Mille Lacs County, MNborders it2133.3%2.6 pCi/L+10.0 points
Sherburne County, MNborders it35121.7%1.8 pCi/L−1.6 points
Where Benton County's reported results fell, 2023, beside Minnesota and the United States
ResultBenton County testsBenton County shareMinnesota shareU.S. shareAgainst Minnesota
Under 2 pCi/L1739.5%36.6%41.4%+2.9 points
2 to 4 pCi/L1637.2%28.9%25.2%+8.3 points
4 pCi/L and above1023.3%34.6%33.4%−11.3 points
Benton 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
Crow Wing County50 of 6217730.5%2.7 pCi/L
Itasca County51 of 6213726.3%1.9 pCi/L
Cass County52 of 6210625.5%2.3 pCi/L
Todd County53 of 626323.8%2.0 pCi/L
Ramsey County54 of 622,21323.5%2.2 pCi/L
Benton County55 of 624323.3%2.2 pCi/L
Isanti County56 of 626622.7%2.0 pCi/L
Sherburne County57 of 6235121.7%1.8 pCi/L
Washington County58 of 621,51821.3%1.9 pCi/L
St. Louis County59 of 6249620.2%1.7 pCi/L
Anoka County60 of 6288019.3%1.9 pCi/L
Benton County radon tests by year, against Minnesota's pooled share
YearTestsAt or above 4 pCi/LMedianHighestMinnesota, pooledChange from the row before
20234323.3%2.2 pCi/L15.8 pCi/L34.6%+9.7 points
20226613.6%1.9 pCi/L10.2 pCi/L31.6%−9.7 points
202117223.3%1.7 pCi/L14.4 pCi/L33.1%+2.1 points
20209921.2%2.5 pCi/L22.7 pCi/L31.8%−14.5 points
20195635.7%3.1 pCi/L13.3 pCi/L36.1%+5.7 points
201810030.0%2.8 pCi/L10.8 pCi/L38.3%−1.6 points
20179831.6%2.8 pCi/L15.7 pCi/L38.2%+8.1 points
201611523.5%2.3 pCi/L8.6 pCi/L37.0%−10.7 points
201512034.2%3.2 pCi/L15.2 pCi/L43.6%+2.4 points
201423331.8%2.7 pCi/L32.9 pCi/L42.9%First on file

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

Benton County, State data

Minnesota's own radon test data

Measured

What Minnesota's own agencies publish about radon tests in Benton 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 Benton 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

23.1%

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

Median result

2.2 pCi/L

Average result

2.8 pCi/L

Tests behind these figures

102 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.

Benton County, Geology

The ground under Benton County

Predicted

Most of the ground under Benton County is one class on USGS's geologic map: 91.6% of its land is moderate radon potential, with 8.4% high. The map puts 91.6% of Benton County in the area it calls Superior Upland/Central Lowland-Western Lake Section and 8.4% in Central Lowland-Till Prairie. USGS gives the first a radon index of 10, in the moderate band (9 to 11), and the second 14, in the high band (12 to 17).

USGS's geologic areas under Benton County
AreaThe rock, in USGS's wordsPotentialRadon indexShare of land
Superior Upland/Central Lowland-Western Lake SectionGlacial deposits derived primarily from volcanic rock.Moderate1091.6%
Central Lowland-Till PrairieSilty and clayey till derived from shale and sandstone.High148.4%

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

Benton County beside the ground around it

Minnesota as a whole has more high-potential ground than Benton County: 61.1% of its land, against 8.4% here. Of the 4 counties that border it, 2 have more high-potential ground, Sherburne County the most at 98.5%.

Share of land by USGS radon potential: Benton County, the 4 counties bordering it and Minnesota
AreaEPA zoneLow potentialModerate potentialHigh potential
Benton CountyZone 2None91.6%8.4%
Mille Lacs CountyZone 2None95.2%4.8%
Sherburne CountyZone 1None1.5%98.5%
Morrison CountyZone 2None97.7%2.3%
Stearns CountyZone 1None21.5%78.5%
Minnesota87 counties, pooled by land areaVariesNone38.9%61.1%

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

Local help

Benton County, Local resources

Radon testing and mitigation in Benton County

Listed radon professionals by town: Sartell

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

Benton County, Questions

Questions about radon in Benton County

Are radon levels high in Benton County?

In 2023, 23.3% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Benton County, Minnesota were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 2.2 pCi/L. Of 62 Minnesota counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 54 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 34.6%.

Which counties border Benton County?

Benton County borders 4 counties: Mille Lacs County, Sherburne County, Morrison County and Stearns County.

Products

Benton County, Products

Testing a home in Benton County

In Benton County, 23.3% of 43 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 Benton County; a long-term test tells the year-round average.

Test kits and monitors3

See every kit and monitor

Best radon monitors for Benton County homes, compared

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Benton County, Bordering counties

Counties bordering Benton County

Calculated by Radon411

Benton County, Cities and towns

Cities and towns in Benton County

The Census Bureau estimates 41,744 residents in Benton County for July 1, 2025, 389 more than in 2020 (+0.9%). That works out to 102 people per square mile of land. St. Cloud, the largest place on its list (72,647 residents in all), extends beyond Benton County, so no share of the total is worked out for it. Reported testing is thin here: 43 tests over 2023, or 1.0 for every 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), where Minnesota as a whole comes to 3.9.

From St. Cloud to Gilman, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Benton County's.

The cities and towns in Benton County by residents, July 1, 2025
PlaceResidentsSince 2020Share of residents
St. Cloudextends beyond Benton County72,647+4.4%Counted whole
Sartellextends beyond Benton County19,918+2.8%Counted whole
Sauk Rapids13,768−1.0%33.0%
Foley2,650−1.8%6.3%
Rice2,212+11.7%5.3%
Royaltonextends beyond Benton County1,274−0.5%Counted whole
Gilman255−3.0%0.6%

7 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). A place that extends beyond Benton County is counted whole, so it has no share.

Benton County, Homes

Homes in Benton County

Of Benton County's 17,484 homes, 66% are detached houses, against 66% across Minnesota; 23% are in buildings of five or more homes. Half of its homes were built before 1985, close to Minnesota's 1978: 18% date from before 1960 and 27% from 2000 or later. 68% of occupied homes are lived in by their owner (Minnesota: 72%); in the rest a tenant can run a test, but a fix is the landlord's to make.

Homes in Benton County, Minnesota, 2019 to 2023
HomesBenton CountyMinnesota
Housing units17,4842,519,538
Detached houses66%66%
In buildings of 5 or more23%19%
Mobile homes7%3%
Built before 196018%29%
Built since 200027%22%
Middle year built19851978
Owner-occupied68%72%

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