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 Steele County, Minnesota
EPA puts Steele County in Zone 1, its highest radon zone, and high results are common there: 51.4% of the 140 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
51.4%
16.8 pts above MN
- Steele
- 51.4%
- Minnesota
- 34.6%
140 tests, 2023
Median result
4.0pCi/L
Action level reached
- Steele
- 4.0 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2023
Tests reported
140
21st of 62 by tests
- Steele
- 140
- 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
21 of 62
Middle half
- Steele
- 51.4%
- Renville
- 75.7%
By share, of 62 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Steele County
Starts at Steele County's median, 4.0 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 4.0 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. Steele County's median reported result, 2023.
The data
Steele County, At a glance
Steele County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 1: highest predicted potential
EPA puts all of Steele 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 Steele County, 2023
| Year | Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 57.4% |
| 2015 | 65.1% |
| 2016 | 50.8% |
| 2017 | 50.0% |
| 2018 | 64.7% |
| 2019 | 55.6% |
| 2020 | 46.1% |
| 2021 | 56.3% |
| 2022 | 57.8% |
| 2023 | 51.4% |
2023: 51.4%. Across these years the share ran from 46.1% to 65.1%. Each column counts radon tests reported to CDC that year, not homes.
What these figures count
These are the 140 tests reported to CDC for Steele 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).
Steele County, Compared
Steele County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411More than half: 51.4% of the 140 radon tests reported to CDC for Steele County in 2023 read at least 4 pCi/L. That places it 21st of 62 Minnesota counties with 30 or more tests for the same period. That is 16.8 points above the 34.6% pooled from 86 Minnesota counties.
The median result, 4.0 pCi/L, sits above EPA's 4 pCi/L action level, and the top reported result was 31.9 pCi/L. The rest split 17.9% under 2 pCi/L and 30.7% from 2 to 4 (Minnesota: 36.6% and 28.9%). Zone 1 on EPA's map (predicted average above 4 pCi/L) and a 51.4% share point the same way here.
3 of its 5 bordering counties with figures ran higher, led by Freeborn County at 67.6%; Rice County reported 40.4%. 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 284 tests reported; the quietest, 2019, had 54.
Over 10 years of annual figures the share fell 6.0 points, from 57.4% in 2014 to 51.4% in 2023; its peak was 65.1% in 2015. Nationally, every county with a figure for the same period pools to 33.4%; Steele County sits 18.0 points above it.
Steele CountyMinnesota, pooled
51.4% % of tests34.6% % of tests
| Year | Tests | Steele County, at or above 4 pCi/L | Minnesota, pooled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 284 | 57.4% | 42.9% |
| 2015 | 238 | 65.1% | 43.6% |
| 2016 | 191 | 50.8% | 37.0% |
| 2017 | 72 | 50.0% | 38.2% |
| 2018 | 85 | 64.7% | 38.3% |
| 2019 | 54 | 55.6% | 36.1% |
| 2020 | 102 | 46.1% | 31.8% |
| 2021 | 135 | 56.3% | 33.1% |
| 2022 | 109 | 57.8% | 31.6% |
| 2023 | 140 | 51.4% | 34.6% |
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Steele County, State data
Minnesota's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat Minnesota's own agencies publish about radon tests in Steele 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 Steele 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
58.9%
851 properties tested with one or more tests at or above 4 pCi/L
Median result
4.4 pCi/L
Average result
6.2 pCi/L
Tests behind these figures
145 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.
Steele County, Geology
The ground under Steele County
PredictedUSGS's geologic map puts all of Steele 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.
Steele County beside the ground around it
Steele County has more high-potential ground than Minnesota as a whole: 100% of its land against 61.1%. Of the 5 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
Steele County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Steele County
Listed radon businesses with an address in Steele 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: Owatonna
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
Steele County, Questions
Questions about radon in Steele County
Are radon levels high in Steele County?
In 2023, 51.4% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Steele County, Minnesota were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 4.0 pCi/L. Of 62 Minnesota counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 20 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 34.6%.
Which counties border Steele County?
Steele County borders 5 counties: Waseca County, Dodge County, Rice County, Freeborn County and Mower County.
Products
Steele County, Products
Testing a home in Steele County
In Steele County, 51.4% of 140 tests reported to CDC in 2023 reached 4 pCi/L, against 34.6% pooled across Minnesota. In Zone 1 the year-round level in Steele 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-1011 rechargeable radon detector with a screen
- C-NRPP 2024/25: Not included
- Battery
- Alarm
- Screen
Method: Semiconductor sensor
First reading: Within 6 hours
Short-term kit
Air Chek Short-Term radon test kit you hang, lab fee included
- Lab fee included
In home: 72 to 168 hours
- See every kit and monitor Test kits and monitors
Test kits and monitors: 1 of 3
Steele County is in EPA Zone 1, the highest predicted radon potential. Best radon monitors for Zone 1 counties like Steele County
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Steele County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Steele County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Freeborn CountyEPA zone 1
67.6%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 5.1 pCi/L · 71 tests · 16.2 points above Steele County
- Radon levels in Dodge CountyEPA zone 1
63.2%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 4.7 pCi/L · 155 tests · 11.8 points above Steele County
- Radon levels in Waseca CountyEPA zone 1
60.3%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 5.0 pCi/L · 63 tests · 8.9 points above Steele County
- Radon levels in Mower CountyEPA zone 1
45.1%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.7 pCi/L · 91 tests · 6.3 points below Steele County
- Radon levels in Rice CountyEPA zone 1
40.4%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.2 pCi/L · 297 tests · 11.0 points below Steele County
Steele County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Steele County
Steele County's population has barely moved since 2020: 37,464 residents on July 1, 2025 against 37,388 then, by the Census Bureau's estimates. That works out to 87 people per square mile of land. Owatonna alone is home to 26,633 of them, 71.1% of the total. CDC's 140 reported tests for 2023 work out to 3.7 per 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), close to Minnesota's 3.9.
From Owatonna to Ellendale, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Steele County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owatonna | 26,633 | +0.8% | 71.1% |
| Blooming Prairieextends beyond Steele County | 1,935 | −1.7% | Counted whole |
| Medford | 1,377 | +4.4% | 3.7% |
| Ellendale | 658 | −1.8% | 1.8% |
4 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 Steele County is counted whole, so it has no share.
Steele County, Homes
Homes in Steele County
Steele County is a place of houses on their own lots: 76% of its 15,878 homes are detached single-family houses, against 66% across Minnesota. Half of its homes were built before 1975, close to Minnesota's 1978: 33% date from before 1960 and 20% from 2000 or later. Owners live in 80% of the occupied homes (Minnesota: 72%), so for most households a test and a fix are their own to order.
| Homes | Steele County | Minnesota |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 15,878 | 2,519,538 |
| Detached houses | 76% | 66% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 11% | 19% |
| Mobile homes | 4% | 3% |
| Built before 1960 | 33% | 29% |
| Built since 2000 | 20% | 22% |
| Middle year built | 1975 | 1978 |
| Owner-occupied | 80% | 72% |
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.