Skip to content
RADON411

Locations and reports

Radon Levels in Pine County, Minnesota

EPA puts Pine County in Zone 2, its middle radon zone, and 39.6% of its 48 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

    39.6%

    5.0 pts above MN

    Pine
    39.6%
    Minnesota
    34.6%

    48 tests, 2023

  • Median result

    2.5pCi/L

    Below action level

    Pine
    2.5 pCi/L
    EPA
    4.0 pCi/L

    Midpoint of the tests, 2023

  • Tests reported

    48

    51st of 62 by tests

    Pine
    48
    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

    41 of 62

    Middle half

    Pine
    39.6%
    Renville
    75.7%

    By share, of 62 with 30+ tests

Read a result for Pine County

Starts at Pine County's median, 2.5 pCi/L

2.5pCi/L

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

EPA’s reading of 2.5 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. Pine County's median reported result, 2023.

Interpret this readingWhat a fix costs

The data

Pine County, At a glance

Pine County at a glance

Predicted: EPA radon zone

EPA Zone 2: moderate predicted potential

Pine 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 88% of the county's area

Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones

Measured: tests reported to CDC

Radon tests reported for Pine County, 2023

Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, by year, Pine County
Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L, by year, Pine County
YearShare of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L
201418.2%
201535.2%
201630.4%
201734.1%
201841.5%
201959.4%
202014.6%
202123.6%
202243.3%
202339.6%

2023: 39.6%. Across these years the share ran from 14.6% to 59.4%. Each column counts radon tests reported to CDC that year, not homes.

What these figures count

These are the 48 tests reported to CDC for Pine 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

Pine County, Compared

Pine County radon figures, compared

Calculated by Radon411

In Pine County, about 4 in 10 reported tests in 2023 (19 of 48) were at or above EPA's action level. Against the national pool of 33.4%, the gap is 6.2 points higher. Across 86 Minnesota counties pooled together, 34.6% of tests reached that level, so Pine County runs 5.0 points above its state.

Of 6 neighbours with a figure, 1 reported a larger share at or above 4 pCi/L and 5 a smaller one; the spread is 9.1% (Douglas County, WI) to 41.9% (Carlton County). By share, Pine County is 41st of 62 Minnesota counties with 30 or more tests for the same period.

Year by year, 2014 opened at 18.2% and 2023 closed at 39.6% (up 21.4 points), with 2019 the high at 59.4%. Half the tests came in under 2.5 pCi/L and half over it; the single highest reached 17.7 pCi/L. Below the action level, 18 tests (37.5%) came in under 2 pCi/L, against 36.6% statewide, and 11 tests (22.9%) 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 39.6% share point the same way here. USGS geology rates 88% of the county's land moderate radon potential.

The busiest year on file was 2015, with 91 tests reported; the quietest, 2019, had 32.

Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L by year, Pine County against Minnesota2014 to 2023, years with 30 or more tests: Pine County 18.2% to 39.6%, the state's pooled share 34.6% in 2023.
Pine CountyMinnesota, pooled
Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L by year, Pine County against Minnesota: data table
YearTestsPine County, at or above 4 pCi/LMinnesota, pooled
20146618.2%42.9%
20159135.2%43.6%
20166930.4%37.0%
20174134.1%38.2%
20186541.5%38.3%
20193259.4%36.1%
20204814.6%31.8%
20215523.6%33.1%
20226743.3%31.6%
20234839.6%34.6%
Pine County against Minnesota, the United States and nearby counties, 2023
AreaTestsAt or above 4 pCi/LMedianDifference from Pine County
Pine County4839.6%2.5 pCi/LThis county
Minnesota, pooled86 counties, pooled22,44934.6%Not pooled−5.0 points
United States, pooled642 counties, pooled128,74033.4%Not pooled−6.2 points
Renville Countyhighest in the state3775.7%6.3 pCi/L+36.1 points
Lake Countylowest in the state783.8%1.3 pCi/L−35.8 points
Carlton County, MNborders it10541.9%3.1 pCi/L+2.3 points
Aitkin County, MNborders it3138.7%3.1 pCi/L−0.9 points
Chisago County, MNborders it16634.9%2.9 pCi/L−4.7 points
Kanabec County, MNborders it2528.0%2.9 pCi/L−11.6 points
Burnett County, WIborders it5223.1%1.6 pCi/L−16.5 points
Isanti County, MNborders it6622.7%2.0 pCi/L−16.9 points
Douglas County, WIborders it449.1%1.5 pCi/L−30.5 points
Where Pine County's reported results fell, 2023, beside Minnesota and the United States
ResultPine County testsPine County shareMinnesota shareU.S. shareAgainst Minnesota
Under 2 pCi/L1837.5%36.6%41.4%+0.9 points
2 to 4 pCi/L1122.9%28.9%25.2%−6.0 points
4 pCi/L and above1939.6%34.6%33.4%+5.0 points
Pine 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
Carlton County36 of 6210541.9%3.1 pCi/L
Swift County37 of 623641.7%3.8 pCi/L
Scott County38 of 6266941.4%3.4 pCi/L
Beltrami County39 of 625440.7%3.0 pCi/L
Rice County40 of 6229740.4%3.2 pCi/L
Pine County41 of 624839.6%2.5 pCi/L
Winona County42 of 6213938.8%3.0 pCi/L
Aitkin County43 of 623138.7%3.1 pCi/L
Morrison County44 of 626235.5%3.0 pCi/L
Chisago County45 of 6216634.9%2.9 pCi/L
Dakota County46 of 622,18334.6%2.9 pCi/L
Pine County radon tests by year, against Minnesota's pooled share
YearTestsAt or above 4 pCi/LMedianHighestMinnesota, pooledChange from the row before
20234839.6%2.5 pCi/L17.7 pCi/L34.6%−3.7 points
20226743.3%3.3 pCi/L11.7 pCi/L31.6%+19.7 points
20215523.6%2.1 pCi/L8.0 pCi/L33.1%+9.0 points
20204814.6%1.8 pCi/L15.2 pCi/L31.8%−44.8 points
20193259.4%4.8 pCi/L23.4 pCi/L36.1%+17.9 points
20186541.5%3.4 pCi/L22.0 pCi/L38.3%+7.4 points
20174134.1%3.3 pCi/L13.3 pCi/L38.2%+3.7 points
20166930.4%2.9 pCi/L21.1 pCi/L37.0%−4.8 points
20159135.2%2.5 pCi/L12.0 pCi/L43.6%+17.0 points
20146618.2%2.0 pCi/L10.1 pCi/L42.9%First on file

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

Pine County, State data

Minnesota's own radon test data

Measured

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

32.9%

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

Median result

2.6 pCi/L

Average result

3.3 pCi/L

Tests behind these figures

50 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.

Pine County, Geology

The ground under Pine County

Predicted

Most of the ground under Pine County is one class on USGS's geologic map: 88.3% of its land is moderate radon potential, with 11.7% high. The map puts 88.3% of Pine County in the area it calls Superior Upland/Central Lowland-Western Lake Section and 11.7% 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 Pine County
AreaThe rock, in USGS's wordsPotentialRadon indexShare of land
Superior Upland/Central Lowland-Western Lake SectionGlacial deposits derived primarily from volcanic rock.Moderate1088.3%
Central Lowland-Till PrairieSilty and clayey till derived from shale and sandstone.High1411.7%

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

Pine County beside the ground around it

Minnesota as a whole has more high-potential ground than Pine County: 61.1% of its land, against 11.7% here. Of the 7 counties that border it, 2 have more high-potential ground, Chisago County the most at 100%.

Share of land by USGS radon potential: Pine County, the 7 counties bordering it and Minnesota
AreaEPA zoneLow potentialModerate potentialHigh potential
Pine CountyZone 2None88.3%11.7%
Burnett County, WIZone 2None99.7%0.3%
Carlton CountyZone 2None100%None
Kanabec CountyZone 1None98.7%1.3%
Chisago CountyZone 2NoneNone100%
Isanti CountyZone 2None2.3%97.7%
Douglas County, WIZone 2None99.5%None
Aitkin CountyZone 2None100%None
Minnesota87 counties, pooled by land areaVariesNone38.9%61.1%

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

Local help

Pine County, Local resources

Radon testing and mitigation in Pine County

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

Pine County, Questions

Questions about radon in Pine County

Are radon levels high in Pine County?

In 2023, 39.6% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Pine County, Minnesota were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 2.5 pCi/L. Of 62 Minnesota counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 40 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 34.6%.

Which counties border Pine County?

Pine County borders 7 counties: Burnett County, WI, Carlton County, MN, Kanabec County, MN, Chisago County, MN, Isanti County, MN, Douglas County, WI and Aitkin County, MN.

Products

Pine County, Products

Testing a home in Pine County

In Pine County, 39.6% of 48 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 Pine County; a long-term test tells the year-round average.

Test kits and monitors3

See every kit and monitor

Best radon monitors for Pine County homes, compared

Explore

Pine County, Bordering counties

Counties bordering Pine County

Calculated by Radon411

Pine County, Cities and towns

Cities and towns in Pine County

Pine County is growing: the Census Bureau puts it at 30,472 residents on July 1, 2025, up 5.5% from 28,886 in 2020. That works out to 22 people per square mile of land. No town dominates: Pine City, the largest, has 3,820 residents, 12.5% of the total. Together its 14 incorporated places hold 40.2% of those residents; the other 59.8% live outside any of them. Reported testing is thin here: 48 tests over 2023, or 1.6 for every 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), where Minnesota as a whole comes to 3.9.

From Pine City to Denham, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Pine County's.

The 12 largest cities and towns in Pine County by residents, July 1, 2025
PlaceResidentsSince 2020Share of residents
Pine City3,820+21.4%12.5%
Sandstone2,543+3.5%8.3%
Hinckley1,992+4.7%6.5%
Rock Creek1,772+5.0%5.8%
Sturgeon Lake464+4.7%1.5%
Willow River400+3.4%1.3%
Finlayson332+12.2%1.1%
Askov326−0.9%1.1%
Rutledge213Level0.7%
Brook Park126+0.8%0.4%
Bruno83−1.2%0.3%
Kerrick73+2.8%0.2%
  • Henriette
  • Denham

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).

Pine County, Homes

Homes in Pine County

Pine County is a place of houses on their own lots: 77% of its 17,148 homes are detached single-family houses, against 66% across Minnesota. Half of its homes were built before 1984, close to Minnesota's 1978: 23% date from before 1960 and 27% from 2000 or later. Owners live in 83% of the occupied homes (Minnesota: 72%), so for most households a test and a fix are their own to order.

Homes in Pine County, Minnesota, 2019 to 2023
HomesPine CountyMinnesota
Housing units17,1482,519,538
Detached houses77%66%
In buildings of 5 or more4%19%
Mobile homes16%3%
Built before 196023%29%
Built since 200027%22%
Middle year built19841978
Owner-occupied83%72%

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