Long-term kit
RL116 long-term radon test kit
- Lab fee extra
Method: Alpha track
In home: 90 days to 12 months
Locations and reports
Radon Levels in Chippewa County, Minnesota
EPA puts Chippewa County in Zone 1, its highest radon zone, and high results are common there: 65.7% of the 35 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
65.7%
31.1 pts above MN
- Chippewa
- 65.7%
- Minnesota
- 34.6%
35 tests, 2023
Median result
4.8pCi/L
Action level reached
- Chippewa
- 4.8 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2023
Tests reported
35
58th of 62 by tests
- Chippewa
- 35
- Hennepin
- 6,545
Reported to CDC before any fix, 2023
EPA radon zone
Zone 1
Highest potential
- Zone 1
- 2
- 3
1 highest, 3 lowest
EPA predicts over 4 pCi/L indoors
Rank in Minnesota
4 of 62
Top quarter
- Chippewa
- 65.7%
- Renville
- 75.7%
By share, of 62 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Chippewa County
Starts at Chippewa County's median, 4.8 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 4.8 pCi/L
At or above 4 pCi/L
- Under 20 to 1.9 pCi/L
- 2 to 4consider a fix
- 4 and aboveEPA says fix it
This result is at or above 4 pCi/L. EPA recommends fixing a home when the radon level is 4 pCi/L or higher. Chippewa County's median reported result, 2023.
The data
Chippewa County, At a glance
Chippewa County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 1: highest predicted potential
EPA puts all of Chippewa County in
USGS geologic potential: High across 100% of the county's area
Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Measured: tests reported to CDC
Radon tests reported for Chippewa County, 2023
| Year | Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 53.7% |
| 2015 | 66.7% |
| 2016 | 52.3% |
| 2017 | 91.7% |
| 2018 | 67.2% |
| 2019 | 63.3% |
| 2020 | 63.6% |
| 2021 | 82.4% |
| 2022 | 75.0% |
| 2023 | 65.7% |
2023: 65.7%. Across these years the share ran from 52.3% to 91.7%. Each column counts radon tests reported to CDC that year, not homes.
What these figures count
These are the 35 tests reported to CDC for Chippewa 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).
Chippewa County, Compared
Chippewa County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411More than half: 65.7% of the 35 radon tests reported to CDC for Chippewa County in 2023 read at least 4 pCi/L. That places it 4th of 62 Minnesota counties with 30 or more tests for the same period. That is 31.1 points above the 34.6% pooled from 86 Minnesota counties.
The median result, 4.8 pCi/L, sits above EPA's 4 pCi/L action level, and the top reported result was 30.3 pCi/L. The rest split 11.4% under 2 pCi/L and 22.9% from 2 to 4 (Minnesota: 36.6% and 28.9%). Zone 1 on EPA's map (predicted average above 4 pCi/L) and a 65.7% share point the same way here.
1 of its 3 bordering counties with figures ran higher, led by Renville County at 75.7%; Swift County reported 41.7%. Statewide for the same period, Renville County reported the highest share (75.7%) and Lake County the lowest (3.8%).
The busiest year on file was 2018, with 58 tests reported; the quietest, 2020, had 11.
Over 8 years of annual figures the share rose 12.0 points, from 53.7% in 2014 to 65.7% in 2023; its peak was 91.7% in 2017. Nationally, every county with a figure for the same period pools to 33.4%; Chippewa County sits 32.3 points above it.
Chippewa CountyMinnesota, pooled
65.7% % of tests34.6% % of tests
| Year | Tests | Chippewa County, at or above 4 pCi/L | Minnesota, pooled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 54 | 53.7% | 42.9% |
| 2015 | 54 | 66.7% | 43.6% |
| 2016 | 44 | 52.3% | 37.0% |
| 2017 | 36 | 91.7% | 38.2% |
| 2018 | 58 | 67.2% | 38.3% |
| 2019 | 30 | 63.3% | 36.1% |
| 2021 | 34 | 82.4% | 33.1% |
| 2023 | 35 | 65.7% | 34.6% |
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Chippewa County, State data
Minnesota's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat Minnesota's own agencies publish about radon tests in Chippewa 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 Chippewa 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
68.6%
218 properties tested with one or more tests at or above 4 pCi/L
Median result
5.4 pCi/L
Average result
7.0 pCi/L
Tests behind these figures
32 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.
Chippewa County, Geology
The ground under Chippewa County
PredictedUSGS's geologic map puts all of Chippewa County's mapped land in one class: high radon potential. The map puts 73.8% of Chippewa County in the area it calls Glacial Lake Deposits and 26.2% in Central Lowland-Till Prairie. USGS gives both a radon index of 14, in the high band (12 to 17).
| Area | The rock, in USGS's words | Potential | Radon index | Share of land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glacial Lake Deposits | Silt and clay glacial lake deposits. | High | 14 | 73.8% |
| Central Lowland-Till Prairie | Silty and clayey till derived from shale and sandstone. | High | 14 | 26.2% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
Chippewa County beside the ground around it
Chippewa County has more high-potential ground than Minnesota as a whole: 100% of its land against 61.1%. Of the 5 counties that border it, none has as large a share of high-potential ground; Lac qui Parle County comes nearest at 100%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
Chippewa County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Chippewa 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.
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
Chippewa County, Questions
Questions about radon in Chippewa County
Are radon levels high in Chippewa County?
In 2023, 65.7% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Chippewa County, Minnesota were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 4.8 pCi/L. Of 62 Minnesota counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 3 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 34.6%.
Which counties border Chippewa County?
Chippewa County borders 5 counties: Yellow Medicine County, Swift County, Kandiyohi County, Lac qui Parle County and Renville County.
Products
Chippewa County, Products
Testing a home in Chippewa County
In Chippewa County, 65.7% of 35 tests reported to CDC in 2023 reached 4 pCi/L, against 34.6% pooled across Minnesota. In Zone 1 the year-round level in Chippewa County is the one to know: a long-term test (more than 90 days) or a monitor, with a short-term kit for a first answer.
Test kits and monitors3
See every kit and monitor
MonitorPYZYCKYH
RD17 plug-in radon detector with a rechargeable battery and color screen
- C-NRPP 2024/25: Not included
- Battery
- Alarm
- Screen
Method: Semiconductor sensor
First reading: Within 6 hours
Short-term kit
PicoCan short-term charcoal canister radon test
- Lab fee included
Method: Charcoal
In home: 48 to 96 hours
- See every kit and monitor Test kits and monitors
Test kits and monitors: 1 of 3
Chippewa County is in EPA Zone 1, the highest predicted radon potential. Best radon monitors for Zone 1 counties like Chippewa County
Explore
Chippewa County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Chippewa County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Renville CountyEPA zone 1
75.7%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 6.3 pCi/L · 37 tests · 10.0 points above Chippewa County
- Radon levels in Lac qui Parle CountyEPA zone 1
73.9%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 6.2 pCi/L · 23 tests · 8.2 points above Chippewa County
- Radon levels in Yellow Medicine CountyEPA zone 1
73.7%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 7.8 pCi/L · 19 tests · 8.0 points above Chippewa County
- Radon levels in Kandiyohi CountyEPA zone 1
65.1%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 5.3 pCi/L · 106 tests · 0.6 points below Chippewa County
- Radon levels in Swift CountyEPA zone 1
41.7%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.8 pCi/L · 36 tests · 24.0 points below Chippewa County
Chippewa County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Chippewa County
About 12,406 people live in Chippewa County by the Census Bureau's estimate for July 1, 2025, 200 fewer than in 2020 (−1.6%). That works out to 21 people per square mile of land. Its largest town, Montevideo, has 5,335 residents, 43.0% of the total. CDC's 35 reported tests for 2023 work out to 2.8 per 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), close to Minnesota's 3.9.
From Montevideo to Watson, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Chippewa County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montevideo | 5,335 | −1.4% | 43.0% |
| Granite Fallsextends beyond Chippewa County | 2,691 | −1.7% | Counted whole |
| Clara City | 1,397 | −2.9% | 11.3% |
| Raymondextends beyond Chippewa County | 789 | +0.5% | Counted whole |
| Milan | 418 | −1.4% | 3.4% |
| Maynard | 304 | −3.2% | 2.5% |
| Watson | 174 | −3.9% | 1.4% |
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 Chippewa County is counted whole, so it has no share.
Chippewa County, Homes
Homes in Chippewa County
Chippewa County is a place of houses on their own lots: 79% of its 5,649 homes are detached single-family houses, against 66% across Minnesota. The homes are older than Minnesota's as a whole: half were built before 1957 (1978 for Minnesota), and 54% date from before 1960. 71% 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 | Chippewa County | Minnesota |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 5,649 | 2,519,538 |
| Detached houses | 79% | 66% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 14% | 19% |
| Mobile homes | 2% | 3% |
| Built before 1960 | 54% | 29% |
| Built since 2000 | 7% | 22% |
| Middle year built | 1957 | 1978 |
| Owner-occupied | 71% | 72% |
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.