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 Pope County, Minnesota
EPA puts Pope County in Zone 1, its highest radon zone, and high results are common there: 50.9% of the 55 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
50.9%
16.3 pts above MN
- Pope
- 50.9%
- Minnesota
- 34.6%
55 tests, 2023
Median result
4.2pCi/L
Action level reached
- Pope
- 4.2 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2023
Tests reported
55
49th of 62 by tests
- Pope
- 55
- 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
22 of 62
Middle half
- Pope
- 50.9%
- Renville
- 75.7%
By share, of 62 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Pope County
Starts at Pope County's median, 4.2 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 4.2 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. Pope County's median reported result, 2023.
The data
Pope County, At a glance
Pope County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 1: highest predicted potential
EPA puts all of Pope 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 Pope County, 2023
| Year | Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 43.0% |
| 2015 | 44.6% |
| 2016 | 56.4% |
| 2017 | 63.6% |
| 2018 | 49.3% |
| 2019 | 44.7% |
| 2020 | 54.0% |
| 2021 | 52.5% |
| 2022 | 42.9% |
| 2023 | 50.9% |
2023: 50.9%. Across these years the share ran from 42.9% to 63.6%. Each column counts radon tests reported to CDC that year, not homes.
What these figures count
These are the 55 tests reported to CDC for Pope 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).
Pope County, Compared
Pope County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411More than half: 50.9% of the 55 radon tests reported to CDC for Pope County in 2023 read at least 4 pCi/L. That places it 22nd of 62 Minnesota counties with 30 or more tests for the same period. That is 16.3 points above the 34.6% pooled from 86 Minnesota counties.
The median result, 4.2 pCi/L, sits above EPA's 4 pCi/L action level, and the top reported result was 24.7 pCi/L. The rest split 25.5% under 2 pCi/L and 23.6% from 2 to 4 (Minnesota: 36.6% and 28.9%). Zone 1 on EPA's map (predicted average above 4 pCi/L) and a 50.9% share point the same way here.
1 of its 4 bordering counties with figures ran higher, led by Kandiyohi County at 65.1%; 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 2014, with 128 tests reported; the quietest, 2019, had 47.
Over 10 years of annual figures the share rose 7.9 points, from 43.0% in 2014 to 50.9% in 2023; its peak was 63.6% in 2017. Nationally, every county with a figure for the same period pools to 33.4%; Pope County sits 17.5 points above it.
Pope CountyMinnesota, pooled
50.9% % of tests34.6% % of tests
| Year | Tests | Pope County, at or above 4 pCi/L | Minnesota, pooled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 128 | 43.0% | 42.9% |
| 2015 | 112 | 44.6% | 43.6% |
| 2016 | 78 | 56.4% | 37.0% |
| 2017 | 107 | 63.6% | 38.2% |
| 2018 | 69 | 49.3% | 38.3% |
| 2019 | 47 | 44.7% | 36.1% |
| 2020 | 50 | 54.0% | 31.8% |
| 2021 | 59 | 52.5% | 33.1% |
| 2022 | 63 | 42.9% | 31.6% |
| 2023 | 55 | 50.9% | 34.6% |
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Pope County, State data
Minnesota's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat Minnesota's own agencies publish about radon tests in Pope 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 Pope 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
51.5%
243 properties tested with one or more tests at or above 4 pCi/L
Median result
3.9 pCi/L
Average result
4.9 pCi/L
Tests behind these figures
47 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.
Pope County, Geology
The ground under Pope County
PredictedUSGS's geologic map puts all of Pope County's mapped land in one class: high radon potential. The map puts 50.2% of Pope County in the area it calls Central Lowland-Western Lake Section and 49.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Lowland-Western Lake Section | Sandy calcareous till derived from carbonate rocks. | High | 14 | 50.2% |
| Central Lowland-Till Prairie | Silty and clayey till derived from shale and sandstone. | High | 14 | 49.8% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
Pope County beside the ground around it
Pope 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; Douglas County comes nearest at 100%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
Pope County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Pope 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
Pope County, Questions
Questions about radon in Pope County
Are radon levels high in Pope County?
In 2023, 50.9% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Pope County, Minnesota were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 4.2 pCi/L. Of 62 Minnesota counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 21 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 34.6%.
Which counties border Pope County?
Pope County borders 6 counties: Douglas County, Swift County, Stevens County, Grant County, Kandiyohi County and Stearns County.
Products
Pope County, Products
Testing a home in Pope County
In Pope County, 50.9% of 55 tests reported to CDC in 2023 reached 4 pCi/L, against 34.6% pooled across Minnesota. In Zone 1 the year-round level in Pope 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-3786 rechargeable radon monitor with a 3.5-inch color screen
- C-NRPP 2024/25: Not included
- Battery
- Alarm
- Screen
Method: Ion chamber
First reading: Within 10 minutes
Short-term kitFirst Alert
RD1 short-term charcoal radon test kit
- Lab fee included
Method: Charcoal
In home: 2 to 4 days
- See every kit and monitor Test kits and monitors
Test kits and monitors: 1 of 3
Pope County is in EPA Zone 1, the highest predicted radon potential. Best radon monitors for Zone 1 counties like Pope County
Explore
Pope County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Pope County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Grant CountyEPA zone 1
72.7%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 7.6 pCi/L · 11 tests · 21.8 points above Pope County
- Radon levels in Kandiyohi CountyEPA zone 1
65.1%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 5.3 pCi/L · 106 tests · 14.2 points above Pope County
- Radon levels in Douglas CountyEPA zone 1
48.3%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.7 pCi/L · 145 tests · 2.6 points below Pope County
- Radon levels in Stearns CountyEPA zone 1
46.7%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.7 pCi/L · 366 tests · 4.2 points below Pope County
- Radon levels in Swift CountyEPA zone 1
41.7%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.8 pCi/L · 36 tests · 9.2 points below Pope County
- Radon levels in Stevens CountyEPA zone 1
34.5%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.2 pCi/L · 29 tests · 16.4 points below Pope County
Pope County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Pope County
The Census Bureau estimates 11,420 residents in Pope County for July 1, 2025, 93 more than in 2020 (+0.8%). That works out to 17 people per square mile of land. Its largest town, Glenwood, has 2,631 residents, 23.0% of the total. CDC's 55 reported tests for 2023 work out to 4.8 per 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), close to Minnesota's 3.9.
From Glenwood to Westport, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Pope County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glenwood | 2,631 | −0.8% | 23.0% |
| Starbuck | 1,406 | +2.7% | 12.3% |
| Brootenextends beyond Pope County | 650 | +2.4% | Counted whole |
| Lowry | 338 | Level | 3.0% |
| Long Beach | 334 | −2.1% | 2.9% |
| Cyrus | 310 | +0.3% | 2.7% |
| Villard | 227 | +1.3% | 2.0% |
| Farwell | 56 | −1.8% | 0.5% |
| Sedan | 46 | +2.2% | 0.4% |
| Westport | 44 | +2.3% | 0.4% |
10 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 Pope County is counted whole, so it has no share.
Pope County, Homes
Homes in Pope County
Pope County is a place of houses on their own lots: 85% of its 6,411 homes are detached single-family houses, against 66% across Minnesota. Half of its homes were built before 1971, close to Minnesota's 1978: 41% date from before 1960 and 20% 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 | Pope County | Minnesota |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 6,411 | 2,519,538 |
| Detached houses | 85% | 66% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 7% | 19% |
| Mobile homes | 3% | 3% |
| Built before 1960 | 41% | 29% |
| Built since 2000 | 20% | 22% |
| Middle year built | 1971 | 1978 |
| Owner-occupied | 83% | 72% |
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.