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 Rice County, Minnesota
EPA puts Rice County in Zone 1, its highest radon zone, and high results are common there: 40.4% of the 297 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
40.4%
5.8 pts above MN
- Rice
- 40.4%
- Minnesota
- 34.6%
297 tests, 2023
Median result
3.2pCi/L
Below action level
- Rice
- 3.2 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2023
Tests reported
297
14th of 62 by tests
- Rice
- 297
- 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
40 of 62
Middle half
- Rice
- 40.4%
- Renville
- 75.7%
By share, of 62 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Rice County
Starts at Rice County's median, 3.2 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 3.2 pCi/L
Between 2 and 4 pCi/L
- Under 20 to 1.9 pCi/L
- 2 to 4consider a fix
- 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. Rice County's median reported result, 2023.
The data
Rice County, At a glance
Rice County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 1: highest predicted potential
EPA puts all of Rice 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 Rice County, 2023
| Year | Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 57.6% |
| 2015 | 61.2% |
| 2016 | 50.9% |
| 2017 | 52.4% |
| 2018 | 57.1% |
| 2019 | 56.9% |
| 2020 | 51.0% |
| 2021 | 46.2% |
| 2022 | 48.6% |
| 2023 | 40.4% |
2023: 40.4%. Across these years the share ran from 40.4% to 61.2%. Each column counts radon tests reported to CDC that year, not homes.
What these figures count
These are the 297 tests reported to CDC for Rice 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).
Rice County, Compared
Rice County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411In Rice County, about 4 in 10 reported tests in 2023 (120 of 297) were at or above EPA's action level. Against the national pool of 33.4%, the gap is 7.0 points higher. Across 86 Minnesota counties pooled together, 34.6% of tests reached that level, so Rice County runs 5.8 points above its state.
Of 7 neighbours with a figure, 6 reported a larger share at or above 4 pCi/L and 1 a smaller one; the spread is 34.6% (Dakota County) to 63.2% (Dodge County). By share, Rice County is 40th of 62 Minnesota counties with 30 or more tests for the same period.
Year by year, 2014 opened at 57.6% and 2023 closed at 40.4% (down 17.2 points), with 2015 the high at 61.2%. Half the tests came in under 3.2 pCi/L and half over it; the single highest reached 36.6 pCi/L. Below the action level, 97 tests (32.7%) came in under 2 pCi/L, against 36.6% statewide, and 80 tests (26.9%) fell between 2 and 4, against 28.9% statewide.
Zone 1 on EPA's map (predicted average above 4 pCi/L) and a 40.4% share point the same way here. USGS geology rates 100% of the county's land high radon potential.
The busiest year on file was 2018, with 735 tests reported; the quietest, 2019, had 211.
Rice CountyMinnesota, pooled
| Year | Tests | Rice County, at or above 4 pCi/L | Minnesota, pooled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 587 | 57.6% | 42.9% |
| 2015 | 582 | 61.2% | 43.6% |
| 2016 | 483 | 50.9% | 37.0% |
| 2017 | 410 | 52.4% | 38.2% |
| 2018 | 735 | 57.1% | 38.3% |
| 2019 | 211 | 56.9% | 36.1% |
| 2020 | 241 | 51.0% | 31.8% |
| 2021 | 413 | 46.2% | 33.1% |
| 2022 | 284 | 48.6% | 31.6% |
| 2023 | 297 | 40.4% | 34.6% |
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Rice County, State data
Minnesota's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat Minnesota's own agencies publish about radon tests in Rice 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 Rice 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
55.5%
1,835 properties tested with one or more tests at or above 4 pCi/L
Median result
4.0 pCi/L
Average result
5.4 pCi/L
Tests behind these figures
331 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.
Rice County, Geology
The ground under Rice County
PredictedUSGS's geologic map puts all of Rice County's mapped land in one class: high radon potential. The map puts 85.0% of Rice County in the area it calls Central Lowland-Till Prairie and 15.0% in Dissected Till Plains. USGS gives the first a radon index of 14 and the second 12, both 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 | 85.0% |
| Dissected Till Plains | Pre-Wisconsinan glacial deposits derived from limestone, dolomite, sandstone, shale, locally covered by Wisconsinan loess. | High | 12 | 15.0% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
Rice County beside the ground around it
Rice County has more high-potential ground than Minnesota as a whole: 100% of its land against 61.1%. Of the 7 counties that border it, none has as large a share of high-potential ground; Dodge County comes nearest at 100%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
Rice County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Rice County
Listed radon businesses with an address in Rice 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: Faribault, Northfield, Dundas
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
Rice County, Questions
Questions about radon in Rice County
Are radon levels high in Rice County?
In 2023, 40.4% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Rice County, Minnesota were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 3.2 pCi/L. Of 62 Minnesota counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 39 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 34.6%.
Which counties border Rice County?
Rice County borders 7 counties: Steele County, Le Sueur County, Scott County, Waseca County, Dakota County, Goodhue County and Dodge County.
Products
Rice County, Products
Testing a home in Rice County
In Rice County, 40.4% of 297 tests reported to CDC in 2023 reached 4 pCi/L, against 34.6% pooled across Minnesota. In Zone 1 the year-round level in Rice 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
MonitorX-Sense
XR0A-iR Wi-Fi battery radon detector with a screen
- C-NRPP 2024/25: Not included
- Battery
- Wi-Fi
- Screen, app
Method: Alpha spectrometry
First reading: Within 24 hours
Short-term kitKidde
442020 short-term charcoal radon test kit
- Lab fee included
Method: Charcoal
In home: 3 days
- See every kit and monitor Test kits and monitors
Test kits and monitors: 1 of 3
Rice County is in EPA Zone 1, the highest predicted radon potential. Best radon monitors for Zone 1 counties like Rice County
Explore
Rice County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Rice County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Dodge CountyEPA zone 1
63.2%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 4.7 pCi/L · 155 tests · 22.8 points above Rice County
- Radon levels in Le Sueur CountyEPA zone 1
62.2%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 5.1 pCi/L · 135 tests · 21.8 points above Rice County
- Radon levels in Waseca CountyEPA zone 1
60.3%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 5.0 pCi/L · 63 tests · 19.9 points above Rice County
- Radon levels in Steele CountyEPA zone 1
51.4%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 4.0 pCi/L · 140 tests · 11.0 points above Rice County
- Radon levels in Goodhue CountyEPA zone 1
49.5%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.9 pCi/L · 218 tests · 9.1 points above Rice County
- Radon levels in Scott CountyEPA zone 1
41.4%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.4 pCi/L · 669 tests · 1.0 points above Rice County
- Radon levels in Dakota CountyEPA zone 1
34.6%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.9 pCi/L · 2,183 tests · 5.8 points below Rice County
Rice County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Rice County
The Census Bureau estimates 69,939 residents in Rice County for July 1, 2025, 2,834 more than in 2020 (+4.2%). That works out to 141 people per square mile of land. Its largest town, Faribault, has 25,040 residents, 35.8% of the total. CDC's 297 reported tests for 2023 work out to 4.2 per 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), close to Minnesota's 3.9.
From Faribault to Dennison, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Rice County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faribault | 25,040 | +2.4% | 35.8% |
| Northfieldextends beyond Rice County | 21,992 | +5.6% | Counted whole |
| Lonsdale | 5,117 | +8.6% | 7.3% |
| Dundas | 1,833 | +7.3% | 2.6% |
| Morristown | 1,023 | +3.2% | 1.5% |
| Nerstrand | 274 | Level | 0.4% |
| Dennisonextends beyond Rice County | 220 | −1.3% | Counted whole |
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 Rice County is counted whole, so it has no share.
Rice County, Homes
Homes in Rice County
Of Rice County's 25,173 homes, 71% are detached houses, against 66% across Minnesota; 14% are in buildings of five or more homes. Half of its homes were built before 1977, close to Minnesota's 1978: 31% date from before 1960 and 25% from 2000 or later. Owners live in 76% of the occupied homes (Minnesota: 72%), so for most households a test and a fix are their own to order.
| Homes | Rice County | Minnesota |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 25,173 | 2,519,538 |
| Detached houses | 71% | 66% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 14% | 19% |
| Mobile homes | 4% | 3% |
| Built before 1960 | 31% | 29% |
| Built since 2000 | 25% | 22% |
| Middle year built | 1977 | 1978 |
| Owner-occupied | 76% | 72% |
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.