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 Freeborn County, Minnesota
EPA puts Freeborn County in Zone 1, its highest radon zone, and high results are common there: 67.6% of the 71 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
67.6%
33.0 pts above MN
- Freeborn
- 67.6%
- Minnesota
- 34.6%
71 tests, 2023
Median result
5.1pCi/L
Action level reached
- Freeborn
- 5.1 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2023
Tests reported
71
40th of 62 by tests
- Freeborn
- 71
- 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
3 of 62
Top quarter
- Freeborn
- 67.6%
- Renville
- 75.7%
By share, of 62 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Freeborn County
Starts at Freeborn County's median, 5.1 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 5.1 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. Freeborn County's median reported result, 2023.
The data
Freeborn County, At a glance
Freeborn County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 1: highest predicted potential
EPA puts all of Freeborn 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 Freeborn County, 2023
| Year | Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 63.5% |
| 2015 | 59.5% |
| 2016 | 64.0% |
| 2017 | 61.3% |
| 2018 | 62.8% |
| 2019 | 64.5% |
| 2020 | 55.3% |
| 2021 | 70.5% |
| 2022 | 60.9% |
| 2023 | 67.6% |
2023: 67.6%. Across these years the share ran from 55.3% to 70.5%. Each column counts radon tests reported to CDC that year, not homes.
What these figures count
These are the 71 tests reported to CDC for Freeborn 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).
Freeborn County, Compared
Freeborn County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411More than half: 67.6% of the 71 radon tests reported to CDC for Freeborn County in 2023 read at least 4 pCi/L. That places it 3rd of 62 Minnesota counties with 30 or more tests for the same period. That is 33.0 points above the 34.6% pooled from 86 Minnesota counties.
The median result, 5.1 pCi/L, sits above EPA's 4 pCi/L action level, and the top reported result was 34.2 pCi/L. The rest split 9.9% under 2 pCi/L and 22.5% from 2 to 4 (Minnesota: 36.6% and 28.9%). Zone 1 on EPA's map (predicted average above 4 pCi/L) and a 67.6% share point the same way here.
1 of its 4 bordering counties with figures ran higher, led by Faribault County at 70.0%; Mower County reported 45.1%. 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 2015, with 242 tests reported; the quietest, 2019, had 31.
Over 10 years of annual figures the share rose 4.1 points, from 63.5% in 2014 to 67.6% in 2023; its peak was 70.5% in 2021. Nationally, every county with a figure for the same period pools to 33.4%; Freeborn County sits 34.2 points above it.
Freeborn CountyMinnesota, pooled
67.6% % of tests34.6% % of tests
| Year | Tests | Freeborn County, at or above 4 pCi/L | Minnesota, pooled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 200 | 63.5% | 42.9% |
| 2015 | 242 | 59.5% | 43.6% |
| 2016 | 175 | 64.0% | 37.0% |
| 2017 | 80 | 61.3% | 38.2% |
| 2018 | 94 | 62.8% | 38.3% |
| 2019 | 31 | 64.5% | 36.1% |
| 2020 | 76 | 55.3% | 31.8% |
| 2021 | 95 | 70.5% | 33.1% |
| 2022 | 64 | 60.9% | 31.6% |
| 2023 | 71 | 67.6% | 34.6% |
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Freeborn County, State data
Minnesota's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat Minnesota's own agencies publish about radon tests in Freeborn 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 Freeborn 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
65.8%
469 properties tested with one or more tests at or above 4 pCi/L
Median result
5.0 pCi/L
Average result
6.6 pCi/L
Tests behind these figures
71 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.
Freeborn County, Geology
The ground under Freeborn County
PredictedUSGS's geologic map puts all of Freeborn County's mapped land in one class: high radon potential. 98.4% of it lies in the area the map calls Central Lowland-Till Prairie, to which USGS gives 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Lowland-Till Prairie | Silty and clayey till derived from shale and sandstone. | High | 14 | 98.4% |
| Des Moines Lobe | Calcareous loamy till derived from shale, limestone, dolomite, sandstone. | High | 12 | 1.1% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
Freeborn County beside the ground around it
Freeborn County has more high-potential ground than Minnesota as a whole: 100% of its land against 61.1%. Of the 6 counties that border it, none has as large a share of high-potential ground; Steele County comes nearest at 100%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
Freeborn County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Freeborn County
Listed radon businesses with an address in Freeborn 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: Alden
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
Freeborn County, Questions
Questions about radon in Freeborn County
Are radon levels high in Freeborn County?
In 2023, 67.6% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Freeborn County, Minnesota were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 5.1 pCi/L. Of 62 Minnesota counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 2 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 34.6%.
Which counties border Freeborn County?
Freeborn County borders 6 counties: Worth County, IA, Steele County, MN, Waseca County, MN, Winnebago County, IA, Faribault County, MN and Mower County, MN.
Products
Freeborn County, Products
Testing a home in Freeborn County
In Freeborn County, 67.6% of 71 tests reported to CDC in 2023 reached 4 pCi/L, against 34.6% pooled across Minnesota. In Zone 1 the year-round level in Freeborn 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
MonitorAEGTEST
HOUND-1011S rechargeable radon detector with a screen
- C-NRPP 2024/25: Not included
- Battery
- Alarm
- Screen
Method: Semiconductor sensor
First reading: Within 12 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
Freeborn County is in EPA Zone 1, the highest predicted radon potential. Best radon monitors for Zone 1 counties like Freeborn County
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Freeborn County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Freeborn County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Faribault County, MNEPA zone 1
70.0%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 8.1 pCi/L · 30 tests · 2.4 points above Freeborn County
- Radon levels in Waseca County, MNEPA zone 1
60.3%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 5.0 pCi/L · 63 tests · 7.3 points below Freeborn County
- Radon levels in Steele County, MNEPA zone 1
51.4%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 4.0 pCi/L · 140 tests · 16.2 points below Freeborn County
- Radon levels in Mower County, MNEPA zone 1
45.1%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.7 pCi/L · 91 tests · 22.5 points below Freeborn County
- Radon levels in Worth County, IAEPA zone 1
No CDC figure for 2023; its page reads it against its own neighbours.
- Radon levels in Winnebago County, IAEPA zone 1
No CDC figure for 2023; its page reads it against its own neighbours.
Freeborn County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Freeborn County
About 30,440 people live in Freeborn County by the Census Bureau's estimate for July 1, 2025, 459 fewer than in 2020 (−1.5%). That works out to 43 people per square mile of land. Albert Lea alone is home to 18,217 of them, 59.8% of the total. Together its 14 incorporated places hold 73.7% of those residents; the other 26.3% live outside any of them. Reported testing is thin here: 71 tests over 2023, or 2.3 for every 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), where Minnesota as a whole comes to 3.9.
From Albert Lea to Myrtle, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Freeborn County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albert Lea | 18,217 | −1.5% | 59.8% |
| Clarks Grove | 682 | −2.2% | 2.2% |
| Alden | 575 | −1.4% | 1.9% |
| Glenville | 560 | −1.4% | 1.8% |
| Geneva | 503 | −0.8% | 1.7% |
| Emmons | 363 | −1.6% | 1.2% |
| Hartland | 314 | −0.9% | 1.0% |
| Hollandale | 306 | −1.0% | 1.0% |
| Freeborn | 259 | −1.5% | 0.9% |
| Hayward | 255 | −1.5% | 0.8% |
| Conger | 152 | −1.9% | 0.5% |
| Twin Lakes | 132 | +0.8% | 0.4% |
- Manchester
- Myrtle
14 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).
Freeborn County, Homes
Homes in Freeborn County
Freeborn County is a place of houses on their own lots: 80% of its 14,116 homes are detached single-family houses, against 66% across Minnesota. The homes are older than Minnesota's as a whole: half were built before 1959 (1978 for Minnesota), and 52% date from before 1960. 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 | Freeborn County | Minnesota |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 14,116 | 2,519,538 |
| Detached houses | 80% | 66% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 10% | 19% |
| Mobile homes | 2% | 3% |
| Built before 1960 | 52% | 29% |
| Built since 2000 | 9% | 22% |
| Middle year built | 1959 | 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.