Locations and reports
Radon Levels in Stearns County, Minnesota
What this means for you
- Your area: EPA rates Stearns County Zone 1, the highest of its three radon zones. That is a prediction for the whole county, and homes with elevated levels occur in all three zones.
- Local tests: Of 366 radon tests reported to CDC for Stearns County (2023), 46.7% were at or above 4 pCi/L, EPA's action level.
- Your home: The only way to know your home’s level is to test it.
pCi/L (picocuries per liter) is the unit radon is measured in. EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or above, its action level.
In 2023, 46.7% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Stearns County, Minnesota came back at or above the EPA action level of 4 pCi/L, and the median result was 3.7 pCi/L. EPA's Map of Radon Zones places the county in Zone 1, highest predicted potential. Radon levels vary from home to home, so only a test measures the level in yours.
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 1: highest predicted potential
EPA predicts an average indoor of greater than 4 pCi/L (greater than 150 Bq/m³) across the county as a whole.
This is a county-level geologic prediction. It is not a measurement of any address, and houses with elevated radon are found in all three zones.
USGS geologic potential: Low across 79% of the county's land area
Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Measured: tests reported to CDC
Radon tests reported for Stearns County, 2023
- Tests reported
- 366
- At or above 4 pCi/L
- 46.7%
- Median result
- 3.7 pCi/L
Of 366 pre-mitigation tests reported to CDC, not homes in this area. CDC publishes the share in each band, not a count per band, so the per-band counts in the table are calculated by Radon411 and rounded to add up to the published total.
| Result band | Tests Calculated by Radon411 | Share Measured |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 pCi/L | 94 | 25.7% |
| 2 to 4 pCi/L | 101 | 27.6% |
| 4 pCi/L and above | 171 | 46.7% |
Distribution of tested buildings, not this house. People testing before a sale, or because they suspect a problem, are over-represented in any reported testing data.
Measured: CDC tracking data. Figure above: 2023. Measured data period: 2005 to 2023 (every CDC figure on file).
Stearns County, In figures
Stearns County in figures
What the published data says about Stearns County, in words. A zone and a share of tests describe an area, never the level in any one home.
Predicted
PredictedEPA places Stearns County in Zone 1, highest predicted potential, as it does 67 other counties of Minnesota's 87.
Of the 9 bordering counties, EPA places Douglas County, Kandiyohi County, Meeker County, Pope County, Sherburne County, Todd County and Wright County in Zone 1 and Benton County and Morrison County in Zone 2.
Reported tests
MeasuredCDC has annual figures for Stearns County for 10 years, 2014 to 2023. In 2023, 46.7% of 366 reported tests were at or above 4 pCi/L.
Across those years the share ranged from 29.3% (2021) to 50.6% (2014). Few tests in a year can move it a long way.
Local record
Minnesota's radon program is the MDH Indoor Air Unit, run by MN Dept. of Health; its contacts are under Local resources.
The county's largest incorporated places are St. Cloud, Sartell and Waite Park; the figures here cover them as part of the county.
Stearns County, Reported testing
Reported testing over time
Measured| Year | Median reported result | Highest reported result | Share of tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 4.0 pCi/L | 45.2 pCi/L | 50.6% |
| 2015 | 3.8 pCi/L | 61.9 pCi/L | 48.2% |
| 2016 | 3.8 pCi/L | 71.1 pCi/L | 47.4% |
| 2017 | 3.8 pCi/L | 21.9 pCi/L | 48.5% |
| 2018 | 3.7 pCi/L | 54.2 pCi/L | 47.5% |
| 2019 | 3.8 pCi/L | 33.5 pCi/L | 49.5% |
| 2020 | 3.7 pCi/L | 25.4 pCi/L | 45.2% |
| 2021 | 2.2 pCi/L | 41.8 pCi/L | 29.3% |
| 2022 | 2.9 pCi/L | 38.7 pCi/L | 36.5% |
| 2023 | 3.7 pCi/L | 45.3 pCi/L | 46.7% |
What these figures count
Every percentage here is a share of radon tests reported to CDC for Stearns County in 2023. It is not a share of homes in Stearns County, and it is not a random sample: it counts only the tests people chose to run and that were reported.
The shares and the median are calculated from pre-mitigation tests (366 for 2023). CDC also reports the number of buildings tested (247), a different count, so the two totals are not interchangeable.
Stearns County, State data
Minnesota's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat Minnesota's own agencies publish about radon tests in Stearns County, with their period. These are not CDC's figures and are never added to them.
What the Minnesota Department of Health reports for Stearns 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
45.3%
2,274 properties tested with one or more tests at or above 4 pCi/L
Median result
3.4 pCi/L
Average result
4.4 pCi/L
Tests behind these figures
502 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.
Stearns County, Comparison
How Stearns County compares
MeasuredStearns County's own published CDC figures beside those of the counties that border it, for the same period.
Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L
Measured2023, highest first. Each county’s own published CDC figure.
- Kandiyohi CountyMN106 tests65.1%
- Pope CountyMN55 tests50.9%
- Meeker CountyMN59 tests49.2%
- Douglas CountyMN145 tests48.3%
- Stearns CountyThis page366 tests46.7%
- Wright CountyMN552 tests42.4%
- Morrison CountyMN62 tests35.5%
- Todd CountyMN63 tests23.8%
- Benton CountyMN43 tests23.3%
- Sherburne CountyMN351 tests21.7%
Median reported result
Measured2023, highest first. Each county’s own published CDC figure.
- Kandiyohi CountyMN106 tests5.3 pCi/L
- Pope CountyMN55 tests4.2 pCi/L
- Meeker CountyMN59 tests3.9 pCi/L
- Douglas CountyMN145 tests3.7 pCi/L
- Stearns CountyThis page366 tests3.7 pCi/L
- Wright CountyMN552 tests3.4 pCi/L
- Morrison CountyMN62 tests3.0 pCi/L
- Benton CountyMN43 tests2.2 pCi/L
- Todd CountyMN63 tests2.0 pCi/L
- Sherburne CountyMN351 tests1.8 pCi/L
Each figure is that county’s own published CDC figure for 2023, counting radon tests reported to CDC, not homes. Stearns County is this page. Nothing is averaged or combined across counties. The test count beside each county is CDC’s published number of pre-mitigation tests behind its figures. Figures from few tests can swing widely from year to year. Every Minnesota county’s own figure is in the Minnesota county table.
CDC publishes this figure only for counties here, so there is no state or national number to compare Stearns County, Minnesota with.
Stearns County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Stearns County
Calculated by Radon4119 counties share a boundary with Stearns County, computed from Census county geometry. Radon potential follows geology rather than county lines, so a bordering county’s report can be worth reading alongside this one.
- Meeker CountyMNZone 1: Highest predicted potential
- Kandiyohi CountyMNZone 1: Highest predicted potential
- Benton CountyMNZone 2: Moderate predicted potential
- Todd CountyMNZone 1: Highest predicted potential
- Pope CountyMNZone 1: Highest predicted potential
- Wright CountyMNZone 1: Highest predicted potential
- Morrison CountyMNZone 2: Moderate predicted potential
- Sherburne CountyMNZone 1: Highest predicted potential
- Douglas CountyMNZone 1: Highest predicted potential
Stearns County, Local resources
Local resources in Minnesota
Who to ask in Minnesota: the state's radon program, test kits and professionals.
MDH Indoor Air Unit
MN Dept. of Health
Minnesota’s radon program answers questions about testing, mitigation and the rules where you live.
- 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.
Test kits
Ask the program whether it has free or discounted kits, or compare kits you can buy.
Radon professionals
7 professionals are listed in Minnesota.
Professionals in MinnesotaStearns County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Stearns County
The radon figures on this page are for Stearns County as a whole. They do not differ by city or town.
- Sartell (part)
- Waite Park
- St. Joseph
- Sauk Centre
- Cold Spring
- Melrose
- St. Augusta
- Albany
- Paynesville
- Rockville
- Clearwater (part)
- Avon
- Richmond
- Eden Valley (part)
- Kimball
- St. Stephen
- Holdingford
- Belgrade
- Freeport
- Brooten (part)
- New Munich
- St. Martin
- Elrosa
- Greenwald
The other 6 places in Stearns County
- Meire Grove
- Roscoe
- St. Anthony
- Lake Henry
- Spring Hill
- St. Rosa
31 incorporated places, as listed in the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 place reference files. “(part)” marks a place that extends into another county.
Stearns County, Questions
Questions about radon in Stearns County
Common questions8 questions, answered from the figures above
How do I get a radon test in Stearns County?
EPA says you can test your home yourself or hire a qualified radon test company, and that either approach takes only a small amount of time and effort. No certified tester listed on Radon411 names Stearns County as a service area yet. The Minnesota radon program is the place to ask about certified testers and any test kit offer it runs.
How to test a homeTest kits comparedFree and low-cost kits by stateMinnesota radon program
Are radon levels high in Stearns County?
In 2023, 46.7% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Stearns County, Minnesota were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 3.7 pCi/L. That is a share of reported tests, not of homes. EPA places Stearns County in Zone 1, highest predicted potential, a predicted average indoor screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Homes with elevated levels occur in all three zones, so the figures describe the area, not your house. Testing is the only way to know the radon level in a specific building.
Who does radon mitigation in Stearns County?
No listed mitigator names Stearns County as a service area yet; the Minnesota directory lists 7 companies. EPA recommends having a qualified contractor fix a home with a radon problem, because lowering high radon levels takes technical knowledge and special skills, and some states require the work to be done by a licensed or certified professional. Your state radon program is the place to check whether Minnesota requires one.
How radon mitigation worksWhat mitigation costsMitigators in Minnesota
What EPA radon zone is Stearns County in?
EPA places Stearns County, Minnesota in Zone 1, which EPA describes as highest predicted potential for the area. A zone is a prediction for the whole county and never determines whether a particular home should be tested. EPA recommends testing every home regardless of zone.
Should I test my home in Stearns County?
Yes. Testing is the only way to know the radon level in a specific building. EPA recommends fixing a home when the radon level is 4 pCi/L or higher. EPA recommends considering a fix when the level is between 2 and 4 pCi/L. How to test a home.
When is the best time of year to test?
EPA says short-term tests stay in the home from 2 to 90 days and that all radon tests should run a minimum of 48 hours; long-term tests stay more than 90 days. EPA's guides do not name a best season: they say radon levels tend to vary from day to day and season to season, so a long-term test is more likely than a short-term test to tell you the year-round average.
What does it cost to test?
EPA's Citizen's Guide calls testing easy and inexpensive, and EPA's Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide says passive short-term and long-term devices are generally inexpensive, while active devices may cost more. No national average price is published for this, so Radon411 does not give one. What testing costs.
Which counties border Stearns County?
Stearns County borders 9 counties, derived from Census county geometry. Radon potential follows geology rather than county lines, so a bordering county's report can be relevant.
What these figures mean if you own, buy, sell or rent
The reported-test figures on this page describe Stearns County, Minnesota in 2023. They describe tests other people carried out in other buildings, and none of them measures yours.
- How to test a home
If you own your home
Test the lowest lived-in level; a short-term kit screens in days, a long-term kit reflects the year.
- Buying a house: radon guide
If you are buying
Ask for past results and any system's post-mitigation test, and test during the sale.
- Selling a house: radon guide
If you are selling
Testing before you list puts the timing in your hands; disclosure rules differ by state.
- Radon in rental homes
If you rent, or rent out a home
A tenant can test; a fix is the owner's to make, and duties differ by state.
How long a test has to run, under what conditions, and what EPA says a result means: the testing standard, in full.
Stearns County, Products
Testing and mitigation products
Whatever the figures for Stearns County show, only a test tells you about one home.
Testing
- Short-term test kitsPassive detectors exposed for a few days under closed-building conditions, then analyzed by a lab.
- Long-term test kitsDetectors exposed for more than 90 days, for a closer picture of the annual average.
- Continuous monitorsPowered devices that log radon on a repeating cycle, often used for transaction tests.
- Digital detectorsConsumer devices that display a running radon reading without a lab.
- Water radon testsKits for radon dissolved in well water, analyzed by a lab.
Mitigation
- Mitigation fansThe inline fan that keeps a soil depressurization system running, sized by the installer.
- System indicatorsU-tube manometers and fan alarms that show whether a mitigation system is still working.
- Sealing materialsCrack, joint and sump sealing used alongside a mitigation system, not instead of one.
Stearns County / Next steps
What to do next
Learn
Know what radon is
What radon is, how it gets indoors, and why a county zone is not a reading for your home.
Learn about radonTest
Test the building you live in
Short-term or long-term, where the device goes, and closed-house conditions.
How to testFix
Bring a high level down
How a mitigation system works, and the retest that confirms it.
How mitigation worksFind a pro
Hire a certified professional
Measurement and mitigation professionals by state, with their certifications.
Find a professional
Informational. Follow EPA guidance. EPA says all radon tests should be taken for a minimum of 48 hours, with windows and doors closed from 12 hours before a short-term test.