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 Rock County, Minnesota
EPA puts Rock County in Zone 1, its highest radon zone, and high results are common there: 42.4% of the 59 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
42.4%
7.8 pts above MN
- Rock
- 42.4%
- Minnesota
- 34.6%
59 tests, 2023
Median result
2.0pCi/L
Below action level
- Rock
- 2.0 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2023
Tests reported
59
47th of 62 by tests
- Rock
- 59
- 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
34 of 62
Middle half
- Rock
- 42.4%
- Renville
- 75.7%
By share, of 62 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Rock County
Starts at Rock County's median, 2.0 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 2.0 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. Rock County's median reported result, 2023.
The data
Rock County, At a glance
Rock County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 1: highest predicted potential
EPA puts all of Rock 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 Rock County, 2023
| Year | Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 83.3% |
| 2015 | 84.4% |
| 2016 | 88.2% |
| 2017 | 73.7% |
| 2018 | 67.8% |
| 2019 | 77.3% |
| 2020 | 65.5% |
| 2021 | 66.7% |
| 2022 | 58.6% |
| 2023 | 42.4% |
2023: 42.4%. Across these years the share ran from 42.4% to 88.2%. Each column counts radon tests reported to CDC that year, not homes.
What these figures count
These are the 59 tests reported to CDC for Rock 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).
Rock County, Compared
Rock County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411In Rock County, about 4 in 10 reported tests in 2023 (25 of 59) were at or above EPA's action level. Against the national pool of 33.4%, the gap is 9.0 points higher. Across 86 Minnesota counties pooled together, 34.6% of tests reached that level, so Rock County runs 7.8 points above its state.
Nobles County, the one bordering county with a figure for the same period, reported 58.5%. By share, Rock County is 34th of 62 Minnesota counties with 30 or more tests for the same period.
Year by year, 2014 opened at 83.3% and 2023 closed at 42.4% (down 40.9 points), with 2016 the high at 88.2%. Half the tests came in under 2.0 pCi/L and half over it; the single highest reached 28.6 pCi/L. Below the action level, 29 tests (49.2%) came in under 2 pCi/L, against 36.6% statewide, and 5 tests (8.5%) fell between 2 and 4, against 28.9% statewide.
Zone 1 on EPA's map (predicted average above 4 pCi/L) and a 42.4% 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 59 tests reported; the quietest, 2019, had 22.
Rock CountyMinnesota, pooled
42.4% % of tests34.6% % of tests
| Year | Tests | Rock County, at or above 4 pCi/L | Minnesota, pooled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 30 | 83.3% | 42.9% |
| 2015 | 32 | 84.4% | 43.6% |
| 2016 | 34 | 88.2% | 37.0% |
| 2017 | 38 | 73.7% | 38.2% |
| 2018 | 59 | 67.8% | 38.3% |
| 2023 | 59 | 42.4% | 34.6% |
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Rock County, State data
Minnesota's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat Minnesota's own agencies publish about radon tests in Rock 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 Rock 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
77.3%
208 properties tested with one or more tests at or above 4 pCi/L
Median result
6.9 pCi/L
Average result
8.1 pCi/L
Tests behind these figures
27 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.
Rock County, Geology
The ground under Rock County
PredictedUSGS's geologic map puts all of Rock County's mapped land in one class: high radon potential. 99.3% of it lies in the area the map calls Prairie Coteau, to which USGS gives a radon index of 12, in the high band (12 to 17).
| Area | The rock, in USGS's words | Potential | Radon index | Share of land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Coteau | Pre-Wisconsinan glacial deposits (includes Wisconsinan loess and older bedrock). | High | 12 | 99.3% |
| Loess-Covered Drift Plains | Pre-Illinoian and Illinoian glacial deposits, and loess. | High | 13 | 0.7% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
Rock County beside the ground around it
Rock 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; Murray County comes nearest at 100%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
Rock County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Rock 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
Rock County, Questions
Questions about radon in Rock County
Are radon levels high in Rock County?
In 2023, 42.4% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Rock County, Minnesota were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 2.0 pCi/L. Of 62 Minnesota counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 33 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 34.6%.
Which counties border Rock County?
Rock County borders 6 counties: Lyon County, IA, Pipestone County, MN, Nobles County, MN, Minnehaha County, SD, Moody County, SD and Murray County, MN.
Products
Rock County, Products
Testing a home in Rock County
In Rock County, 42.4% of 59 tests reported to CDC in 2023 reached 4 pCi/L, against 34.6% pooled across Minnesota. In Zone 1 the year-round level in Rock 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
MonitorPYZYCKYH
RD17 plug-in radon detector with a rechargeable battery and color screen
- C-NRPP 2024/25: Not included
- Battery
- Alarm
- Screen
Method: Semiconductor sensor
First reading: Within 6 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
Rock County is in EPA Zone 1, the highest predicted radon potential. Best radon monitors for Zone 1 counties like Rock County
Explore
Rock County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Rock County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Murray County, MNEPA zone 1
72.0%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 8.1 pCi/L · 25 tests · 29.6 points above Rock County
- Radon levels in Pipestone County, MNEPA zone 1
71.4%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 7.3 pCi/L · 28 tests · 29.0 points above Rock County
- Radon levels in Nobles County, MNEPA zone 1
58.5%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 4.7 pCi/L · 41 tests · 16.1 points above Rock County
- Radon levels in Lyon County, IAEPA zone 1
No CDC figure for 2023; its page reads it against its own neighbours.
- Radon levels in Minnehaha County, SDEPA zone 1
No CDC figure for 2023; its page reads it against its own neighbours.
- Radon levels in Moody County, SDEPA zone 1
No CDC figure for 2023; its page reads it against its own neighbours.
Rock County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Rock County
About 9,524 people live in Rock County by the Census Bureau's estimate for July 1, 2025, 161 fewer than in 2020 (−1.7%). That works out to 20 people per square mile of land. Luverne alone is home to 4,984 of them, 52.3% of the total. Testing is reported here more often than across the state: CDC's 59 reported tests for 2023 come to 6.2 for every 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), against 3.9 for Minnesota.
From Luverne to Kenneth, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Rock County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luverne | 4,984 | +1.0% | 52.3% |
| Hills | 656 | −4.5% | 6.9% |
| Jasperextends beyond Rock County | 586 | −3.1% | Counted whole |
| Beaver Creek | 268 | −6.0% | 2.8% |
| Hardwick | 187 | −1.1% | 2.0% |
| Magnolia | 184 | −6.1% | 1.9% |
| Steen | 159 | −7.0% | 1.7% |
| Kenneth | 59 | −6.3% | 0.6% |
8 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 Rock County is counted whole, so it has no share.
Rock County, Homes
Homes in Rock County
Rock County is a place of houses on their own lots: 83% of its 4,236 homes are detached single-family houses, against 66% across Minnesota. The homes are older than Minnesota's as a whole: half were built before 1958 (1978 for Minnesota), and 52% date from before 1960. 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 | Rock County | Minnesota |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 4,236 | 2,519,538 |
| Detached houses | 83% | 66% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 11% | 19% |
| Mobile homes | 1% | 3% |
| Built before 1960 | 52% | 29% |
| Built since 2000 | 10% | 22% |
| Middle year built | 1958 | 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.