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Standard Radon Test short-term mail-in radon test kit
- Lab fee included
Method: Passive sampler
In home: 48 to 96 hours
Locations and reports
Radon Levels in Carlton County, Minnesota
EPA puts Carlton County in Zone 2, its middle radon zone, and high results are common there: 41.9% of the 105 radon tests reported to CDC (2023) came back 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
Share at 4+ pCi/L
41.9%
7.3 pts above MN
- Carlton
- 41.9%
- Minnesota
- 34.6%
105 tests, 2023
Median result
3.1pCi/L
Below action level
- Carlton
- 3.1 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2023
Tests reported
105
33rd of 62 by tests
- Carlton
- 105
- Hennepin
- 6,545
Reported to CDC before any fix, 2023
EPA radon zone
Zone 2
Moderate potential
- 1
- Zone 2
- 3
1 highest, 3 lowest
EPA predicts 2 to 4 pCi/L indoors
Rank in Minnesota
36 of 62
Middle half
- Carlton
- 41.9%
- Renville
- 75.7%
By share, of 62 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Carlton County
Starts at Carlton County's median, 3.1 pCi/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
- Under 20 to 1.9 pCi/L
- 2 to 4consider a fix
- 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. Carlton County's median reported result, 2023.
The data
Carlton County, At a glance
Carlton County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 2: moderate predicted potential
Carlton County is a
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 Carlton County, 2023
| Year | Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 38.1% |
| 2015 | 43.1% |
| 2016 | 50.5% |
| 2017 | 37.9% |
| 2018 | 45.0% |
| 2019 | 23.8% |
| 2020 | 37.4% |
| 2021 | 29.9% |
| 2022 | 45.3% |
| 2023 | 41.9% |
2023: 41.9%. Across these years the share ran from 23.8% to 50.5%. Each column counts radon tests reported to CDC that year, not homes.
What these figures count
These are the 105 tests reported to CDC for Carlton 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).
Carlton County, Compared
Carlton County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411In Carlton County, about 4 in 10 reported tests in 2023 (44 of 105) were at or above EPA's action level. Against the national pool of 33.4%, the gap is 8.5 points higher. Across 86 Minnesota counties pooled together, 34.6% of tests reached that level, so Carlton County runs 7.3 points above its state.
Of 4 neighbours with a figure, none reported a larger share at or above 4 pCi/L; the spread is 9.1% (Douglas County, WI) to 39.6% (Pine County). By share, Carlton County is 36th of 62 Minnesota counties with 30 or more tests for the same period.
Year by year, 2014 opened at 38.1% and 2023 closed at 41.9% (up 3.8 points), with 2016 the high at 50.5%. Half the tests came in under 3.1 pCi/L and half over it; the single highest reached 37.0 pCi/L. Below the action level, 28 tests (26.7%) came in under 2 pCi/L, against 36.6% statewide, and 33 tests (31.4%) 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 41.9% share point the same way here. USGS geology rates 100% of the county's land moderate radon potential.
The busiest year on file was 2014, with 231 tests reported; the quietest, 2021, had 77.
Carlton CountyMinnesota, pooled
| Year | Tests | Carlton County, at or above 4 pCi/L | Minnesota, pooled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 231 | 38.1% | 42.9% |
| 2015 | 197 | 43.1% | 43.6% |
| 2016 | 202 | 50.5% | 37.0% |
| 2017 | 224 | 37.9% | 38.2% |
| 2018 | 171 | 45.0% | 38.3% |
| 2019 | 101 | 23.8% | 36.1% |
| 2020 | 107 | 37.4% | 31.8% |
| 2021 | 77 | 29.9% | 33.1% |
| 2022 | 106 | 45.3% | 31.6% |
| 2023 | 105 | 41.9% | 34.6% |
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Carlton County, State data
Minnesota's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat Minnesota's own agencies publish about radon tests in Carlton 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 Carlton 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
41.5%
449 properties tested with one or more tests at or above 4 pCi/L
Median result
3.0 pCi/L
Average result
4.8 pCi/L
Tests behind these figures
108 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.
Carlton County, Geology
The ground under Carlton County
PredictedUSGS's geologic map puts all of Carlton County's mapped land in one class: moderate radon potential. The map puts 92.2% of Carlton County in the area it calls Superior Upland/Central Lowland-Western Lake Section and 7.8% in Lake Agassiz Plain/Central Lowland-Western Lake Section. USGS gives both a radon index of 10, in the moderate band (9 to 11).
| Area | The rock, in USGS's words | Potential | Radon index | Share of land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superior Upland/Central Lowland-Western Lake Section | Glacial deposits derived primarily from volcanic rock. | Moderate | 10 | 92.2% |
| Lake Agassiz Plain/Central Lowland-Western Lake Section | Silty and clayey glacial deposits and lake deposits. | Moderate | 10 | 7.8% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
Carlton County beside the ground around it
Across Minnesota 61.1% of the land is rated high; none of Carlton County's is. Of the 4 counties that border it, 1 has more high-potential ground, Pine County the most at 11.7%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
Carlton County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Carlton County
Listed radon businesses with an address in Carlton County:
- MDH Indoor Air UnitMDH Indoor Air Unit, run by MN Dept. of Health, licenses or certifies radon professionals and states the rule for disclosing radon when a home is sold, and answers questions about testing and mitigation in Minnesota.Visit the program’s page(opens in a new tab)
- Free and low-cost kitsAsk the program whether it has free or discounted kits, or compare kits you can buy.
- Compare kits
- Professionals in Minnesota255 professionals are listed in Minnesota.
Listed radon professionals by town: Cloquet
What Minnesota's program says
- Phone
- 651-201-4601
- 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
Carlton County, Questions
Questions about radon in Carlton County
Are radon levels high in Carlton County?
In 2023, 41.9% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Carlton 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, 35 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 34.6%.
Which counties border Carlton County?
Carlton County borders 4 counties: Pine County, MN, Aitkin County, MN, Douglas County, WI and St. Louis County, MN.
Products
Carlton County, Products
Testing a home in Carlton County
In Carlton County, 41.9% of 105 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 Carlton County; a long-term test tells the year-round average.
Test kits and monitors3
See every kit and monitor
Long-term kit
RL416 long-term radon test kit, lab fee included
- Lab fee included
Method: Alpha track
In home: 90 days to 12 months
Monitor
EcoQube Wi-Fi continuous radon monitor
- C-NRPP 2024/25: Approved
- Plug-in
- Wi-Fi
- App only
Method: Ion chamber
First reading: Within 10 minutes
- See every kit and monitor Test kits and monitors
Test kits and monitors: 1 of 3
Explore
Carlton County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Carlton County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Pine County, MNEPA zone 2
39.6%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.5 pCi/L · 48 tests · 2.3 points below Carlton County
- Radon levels in Aitkin County, MNEPA zone 2
38.7%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.1 pCi/L · 31 tests · 3.2 points below Carlton County
- Radon levels in St. Louis County, MNEPA zone 2
20.2%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 1.7 pCi/L · 496 tests · 21.7 points below Carlton County
- Radon levels in Douglas County, WIEPA zone 2
9.1%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 1.5 pCi/L · 44 tests · 32.8 points below Carlton County
Carlton County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Carlton County
The Census Bureau estimates 36,711 residents in Carlton County for July 1, 2025, 521 more than in 2020 (+1.4%). That works out to 43 people per square mile of land. Its largest town, Cloquet, has 12,399 residents, 33.8% of the total. Together its 9 incorporated places hold 51.6% of those residents; the other 48.4% live outside any of them. CDC's 105 reported tests for 2023 work out to 2.9 per 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), close to Minnesota's 3.9.
From Cloquet to Kettle River, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Carlton County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloquet | 12,399 | −1.3% | 33.8% |
| Moose Lake | 2,948 | +5.7% | 8.0% |
| Scanlon | 989 | +0.1% | 2.7% |
| Carlton | 965 | +0.4% | 2.6% |
| Barnum | 605 | −2.1% | 1.6% |
| Wrenshall | 457 | +8.0% | 1.2% |
| Cromwell | 258 | +4.5% | 0.7% |
| Wright | 170 | +3.0% | 0.5% |
| Kettle River | 168 | +0.6% | 0.5% |
9 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).
Carlton County, Homes
Homes in Carlton County
Carlton County is a place of houses on their own lots: 81% of its 15,830 homes are detached single-family houses, against 66% across Minnesota. Half of its homes were built before 1974, close to Minnesota's 1978: 35% date from before 1960 and 21% from 2000 or later. Owners live in 79% of the occupied homes (Minnesota: 72%), so for most households a test and a fix are their own to order.
| Homes | Carlton County | Minnesota |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 15,830 | 2,519,538 |
| Detached houses | 81% | 66% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 8% | 19% |
| Mobile homes | 6% | 3% |
| Built before 1960 | 35% | 29% |
| Built since 2000 | 21% | 22% |
| Middle year built | 1974 | 1978 |
| Owner-occupied | 79% | 72% |
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.