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 Scott County, Minnesota
EPA puts Scott County in Zone 1, its highest radon zone, and high results are common there: 41.4% of the 669 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
41.4%
6.8 pts above MN
- Scott
- 41.4%
- Minnesota
- 34.6%
669 tests, 2023
Median result
3.4pCi/L
Below action level
- Scott
- 3.4 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2023
Tests reported
669
7th of 62 by tests
- Scott
- 669
- 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
38 of 62
Middle half
- Scott
- 41.4%
- Renville
- 75.7%
By share, of 62 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Scott County
Starts at Scott County's median, 3.4 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 3.4 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. Scott County's median reported result, 2023.
The data
Scott County, At a glance
Scott County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 1: highest predicted potential
EPA puts all of Scott 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 Scott County, 2023
| Year | Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 48.0% |
| 2015 | 50.0% |
| 2016 | 38.8% |
| 2017 | 37.1% |
| 2018 | 41.3% |
| 2019 | 39.1% |
| 2020 | 40.4% |
| 2021 | 37.0% |
| 2022 | 39.1% |
| 2023 | 41.4% |
2023: 41.4%. Across these years the share ran from 37.0% to 50.0%. Each column counts radon tests reported to CDC that year, not homes.
What these figures count
These are the 669 tests reported to CDC for Scott 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).
Scott County, Compared
Scott County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411In Scott County, about 4 in 10 reported tests in 2023 (277 of 669) were at or above EPA's action level. Against the national pool of 33.4%, the gap is 8.0 points higher. Across 86 Minnesota counties pooled together, 34.6% of tests reached that level, so Scott County runs 6.8 points above its state.
Of 6 neighbours with a figure, 2 reported a larger share at or above 4 pCi/L and 4 a smaller one; the spread is 32.0% (Hennepin County) to 62.2% (Le Sueur County). By share, Scott County is 38th of 62 Minnesota counties with 30 or more tests for the same period.
Year by year, 2014 opened at 48.0% and 2023 closed at 41.4% (down 6.6 points), with 2015 the high at 50.0%. Half the tests came in under 3.4 pCi/L and half over it; the single highest reached 40.9 pCi/L. Below the action level, 210 tests (31.4%) came in under 2 pCi/L, against 36.6% statewide, and 182 tests (27.2%) fell between 2 and 4, against 28.9% statewide.
Zone 1 on EPA's map (predicted average above 4 pCi/L) and a 41.4% share point the same way here. USGS geology rates 100% of the county's land high radon potential.
The busiest year on file was 2014, with 1,301 tests reported; the quietest, 2022, had 499.
Scott CountyMinnesota, pooled
| Year | Tests | Scott County, at or above 4 pCi/L | Minnesota, pooled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 1,301 | 48.0% | 42.9% |
| 2015 | 1,204 | 50.0% | 43.6% |
| 2016 | 1,200 | 38.8% | 37.0% |
| 2017 | 1,036 | 37.1% | 38.2% |
| 2018 | 1,057 | 41.3% | 38.3% |
| 2019 | 603 | 39.1% | 36.1% |
| 2020 | 863 | 40.4% | 31.8% |
| 2021 | 799 | 37.0% | 33.1% |
| 2022 | 499 | 39.1% | 31.6% |
| 2023 | 669 | 41.4% | 34.6% |
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Scott County, State data
Minnesota's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat Minnesota's own agencies publish about radon tests in Scott 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 Scott 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
40.8%
3,379 properties tested with one or more tests at or above 4 pCi/L
Median result
3.1 pCi/L
Average result
4.1 pCi/L
Tests behind these figures
829 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.
Scott County, Geology
The ground under Scott County
PredictedUSGS's geologic map puts all of Scott 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.
Scott County beside the ground around it
Scott 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; Carver County comes nearest at 100%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
Scott County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Scott County
Listed radon businesses with an address in Scott 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: Savage, Prior Lake, Belle Plaine, Elko New Market
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
Scott County, Questions
Questions about radon in Scott County
Are radon levels high in Scott County?
In 2023, 41.4% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Scott County, Minnesota were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 3.4 pCi/L. Of 62 Minnesota counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 37 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 34.6%.
Which counties border Scott County?
Scott County borders 6 counties: Carver County, Le Sueur County, Hennepin County, Dakota County, Rice County and Sibley County.
Products
Scott County, Products
Testing a home in Scott County
In Scott County, 41.4% of 669 tests reported to CDC in 2023 reached 4 pCi/L, against 34.6% pooled across Minnesota. In Zone 1 the year-round level in Scott 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
EcoQube Flex battery digital radon monitor with an e-ink screen
- C-NRPP 2024/25: Not included
- Battery
- Bluetooth
- Alarm
- Screen, app
Method: Ion chamber
First reading: Within 15 minutes
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
Scott County is in EPA Zone 1, the highest predicted radon potential. Best radon monitors for Zone 1 counties like Scott County
Explore
Scott County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Scott County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Le Sueur CountyEPA zone 1
62.2%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 5.1 pCi/L · 135 tests · 20.8 points above Scott County
- Radon levels in Sibley CountyEPA zone 1
60.0%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 5.0 pCi/L · 55 tests · 18.6 points above Scott County
- Radon levels in Rice CountyEPA zone 1
40.4%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.2 pCi/L · 297 tests · 1.0 points below Scott County
- Radon levels in Carver CountyEPA zone 1
34.6%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.8 pCi/L · 489 tests · 6.8 points below Scott County
- Radon levels in Dakota CountyEPA zone 1
34.6%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.9 pCi/L · 2,183 tests · 6.8 points below Scott County
- Radon levels in Hennepin CountyEPA zone 1
32.0%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.7 pCi/L · 6,545 tests · 9.4 points below Scott County
Scott County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Scott County
Scott County is growing: the Census Bureau puts it at 159,017 residents on July 1, 2025, up 5.1% from 151,361 in 2020. That works out to 446 people per square mile of land. Its largest town, Shakopee, has 49,366 residents, 31.0% of the total. CDC's 669 reported tests for 2023 work out to 4.2 per 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), close to Minnesota's 3.9.
From Shakopee to Elko New Market, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Scott County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shakopee | 49,366 | +12.0% | 31.0% |
| Savage | 32,970 | +1.2% | 20.7% |
| Prior Lake | 28,140 | +1.8% | 17.7% |
| New Pragueextends beyond Scott County | 8,238 | +1.1% | Counted whole |
| Belle Plaine | 7,632 | +3.6% | 4.8% |
| Jordan | 6,988 | +4.9% | 4.4% |
| Elko New Market | 5,300 | +9.9% | 3.3% |
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 Scott County is counted whole, so it has no share.
Scott County, Homes
Homes in Scott County
Of Scott County's 55,687 homes, 72% are detached houses, against 66% across Minnesota; 10% are in buildings of five or more homes. Much of Scott County is recent building: 42% of its homes have gone up since 2000 and the middle year built is 1996, against 1978 for Minnesota. Owners live in 84% of the occupied homes (Minnesota: 72%), so for most households a test and a fix are their own to order.
| Homes | Scott County | Minnesota |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 55,687 | 2,519,538 |
| Detached houses | 72% | 66% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 10% | 19% |
| Mobile homes | 1% | 3% |
| Built before 1960 | 9% | 29% |
| Built since 2000 | 42% | 22% |
| Middle year built | 1996 | 1978 |
| Owner-occupied | 84% | 72% |
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.