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
Locations and reports
Radon Levels in McLeod County, Minnesota
EPA puts McLeod County in Zone 1, its highest radon zone, and high results are common there: 55.7% of the 131 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
55.7%
21.1 pts above MN
- McLeod
- 55.7%
- Minnesota
- 34.6%
131 tests, 2023
Median result
4.7pCi/L
Action level reached
- McLeod
- 4.7 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2023
Tests reported
131
25th of 62 by tests
- McLeod
- 131
- 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
16 of 62
Top quarter
- McLeod
- 55.7%
- Renville
- 75.7%
By share, of 62 with 30+ tests
Read a result for McLeod County
Starts at McLeod County's median, 4.7 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 4.7 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. McLeod County's median reported result, 2023.
The data
McLeod County, At a glance
McLeod County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 1: highest predicted potential
EPA puts all of McLeod 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 McLeod County, 2023
| Year | Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 61.8% |
| 2015 | 61.3% |
| 2016 | 58.2% |
| 2017 | 47.8% |
| 2018 | 63.9% |
| 2019 | 53.3% |
| 2020 | 37.7% |
| 2021 | 40.7% |
| 2022 | 54.5% |
| 2023 | 55.7% |
2023: 55.7%. Across these years the share ran from 37.7% to 63.9%. Each column counts radon tests reported to CDC that year, not homes.
What these figures count
These are the 131 tests reported to CDC for McLeod 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).
McLeod County, Compared
McLeod County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411More than half: 55.7% of the 131 radon tests reported to CDC for McLeod County in 2023 read at least 4 pCi/L. That places it 16th of 62 Minnesota counties with 30 or more tests for the same period. That is 21.1 points above the 34.6% pooled from 86 Minnesota counties.
The median result, 4.7 pCi/L, sits above EPA's 4 pCi/L action level, and the top reported result was 33.1 pCi/L. The rest split 26.0% under 2 pCi/L and 18.3% from 2 to 4 (Minnesota: 36.6% and 28.9%). Zone 1 on EPA's map (predicted average above 4 pCi/L) and a 55.7% share point the same way here.
2 of its 5 bordering counties with figures ran higher, led by Renville County at 75.7%; Carver County reported 34.6%. 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 349 tests reported; the quietest, 2019, had 90.
Over 10 years of annual figures the share fell 6.1 points, from 61.8% in 2014 to 55.7% in 2023; its peak was 63.9% in 2018. Nationally, every county with a figure for the same period pools to 33.4%; McLeod County sits 22.3 points above it.
McLeod CountyMinnesota, pooled
55.7% % of tests34.6% % of tests
| Year | Tests | McLeod County, at or above 4 pCi/L | Minnesota, pooled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 325 | 61.8% | 42.9% |
| 2015 | 349 | 61.3% | 43.6% |
| 2016 | 280 | 58.2% | 37.0% |
| 2017 | 207 | 47.8% | 38.2% |
| 2018 | 252 | 63.9% | 38.3% |
| 2019 | 90 | 53.3% | 36.1% |
| 2020 | 175 | 37.7% | 31.8% |
| 2021 | 177 | 40.7% | 33.1% |
| 2022 | 112 | 54.5% | 31.6% |
| 2023 | 131 | 55.7% | 34.6% |
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
McLeod County, State data
Minnesota's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat Minnesota's own agencies publish about radon tests in McLeod 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 McLeod 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
58.3%
897 properties tested with one or more tests at or above 4 pCi/L
Median result
4.3 pCi/L
Average result
5.6 pCi/L
Tests behind these figures
154 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.
McLeod County, Geology
The ground under McLeod County
PredictedUSGS's geologic map puts all of McLeod County's mapped land in one class: high radon potential. All 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 | 100% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
McLeod County beside the ground around it
McLeod 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; Carver County comes nearest at 100%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
McLeod County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in McLeod County
Listed radon businesses with an address in McLeod 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: Hutchinson, Glencoe
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
McLeod County, Questions
Questions about radon in McLeod County
Are radon levels high in McLeod County?
In 2023, 55.7% of the radon tests reported to CDC for McLeod County, Minnesota were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 4.7 pCi/L. Of 62 Minnesota counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 15 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 34.6%.
Which counties border McLeod County?
McLeod County borders 5 counties: Sibley County, Carver County, Meeker County, Wright County and Renville County.
Products
McLeod County, Products
Testing a home in McLeod County
In McLeod County, 55.7% of 131 tests reported to CDC in 2023 reached 4 pCi/L, against 34.6% pooled across Minnesota. In Zone 1 the year-round level in McLeod 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
Monitor
RadonScan-Plus USB-powered radon monitor with Wi-Fi
- C-NRPP 2024/25: Not included
- Plug-in
- Wi-Fi
- Alarm
- Screen, app
First reading: Within 5 minutes
Short-term kit
RA100 short-term liquid scintillation radon test kit
- Lab fee extra
Method: Liquid scintillation
In home: 48 to 96 hours
- See every kit and monitor Test kits and monitors
Test kits and monitors: 1 of 3
McLeod County is in EPA Zone 1, the highest predicted radon potential. Best radon monitors for Zone 1 counties like McLeod County
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McLeod County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering McLeod 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 · 20.0 points above McLeod County
- Radon levels in Sibley CountyEPA zone 1
60.0%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 5.0 pCi/L · 55 tests · 4.3 points above McLeod County
- Radon levels in Meeker CountyEPA zone 1
49.2%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.9 pCi/L · 59 tests · 6.5 points below McLeod County
- Radon levels in Wright CountyEPA zone 1
42.4%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.4 pCi/L · 552 tests · 13.3 points below McLeod County
- Radon levels in Carver CountyEPA zone 1
34.6%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.8 pCi/L · 489 tests · 21.1 points below McLeod County
McLeod County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in McLeod County
McLeod County's population has barely moved since 2020: 36,631 residents on July 1, 2025 against 36,743 then, by the Census Bureau's estimates. That works out to 75 people per square mile of land. Its largest town, Hutchinson, has 14,655 residents, 40.0% of the total. Together its 9 incorporated places hold 73.2% of those residents; the other 26.8% live outside any of them. CDC's 131 reported tests for 2023 work out to 3.6 per 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), close to Minnesota's 3.9.
From Hutchinson to Biscay, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads McLeod County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hutchinson | 14,655 | +0.4% | 40.0% |
| Glencoe | 5,632 | −1.8% | 15.4% |
| Winsted | 2,209 | −1.4% | 6.0% |
| Lester Prairie | 1,881 | −0.8% | 5.1% |
| Silver Lake | 849 | −2.0% | 2.3% |
| Brownton | 702 | −3.2% | 1.9% |
| Stewart | 467 | −3.1% | 1.3% |
| Plato | 321 | −2.1% | 0.9% |
| Biscay | 109 | −2.7% | 0.3% |
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).
McLeod County, Homes
Homes in McLeod County
Of McLeod County's 15,936 homes, 71% are detached houses, against 66% across Minnesota; 13% are in buildings of five or more homes. Half of its homes were built before 1979, close to Minnesota's 1978: 28% date from before 1960 and 19% from 2000 or later. Owners live in 78% of the occupied homes (Minnesota: 72%), so for most households a test and a fix are their own to order.
| Homes | McLeod County | Minnesota |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 15,936 | 2,519,538 |
| Detached houses | 71% | 66% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 13% | 19% |
| Mobile homes | 5% | 3% |
| Built before 1960 | 28% | 29% |
| Built since 2000 | 19% | 22% |
| Middle year built | 1979 | 1978 |
| Owner-occupied | 78% | 72% |
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.