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 Wadena County, Minnesota
EPA puts Wadena County in Zone 1, its highest radon zone, and only 15 radon tests from it are on file with CDC (2023). Homes with elevated levels occur in all three zones, so only a test measures yours.
Data checked By Radon411Methodology
Share at 4+ pCi/L
37.8%
6.3 pts below MN
- Wadena
- 37.8%
- Minnesota
- 44.1%
135 tests, 2007 to 2016
Median result
3.1pCi/L
Below action level
- Wadena
- 3.1 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2007 to 2016
Tests reported
135
75th of 86 by tests
- Wadena
- 135
- Hennepin
- 32,628
Reported to CDC before any fix, 2007 to 2016
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
67 of 86
Lowest quarter
- Wadena
- 37.8%
- Rock
- 84.6%
By share, of 86 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Wadena County
Starts at Wadena County's median, 3.1 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 3.1 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. Wadena County's median reported result, 2007 to 2016.
The data
Wadena County, At a glance
Wadena County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 1: highest predicted potential
EPA puts all of Wadena County in
USGS geologic potential: High across 99% of the county's area
Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Measured: tests reported to CDC
Radon tests reported for Wadena County, 2023
| Year | Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 20.5% |
| 2015 | 28.4% |
| 2016 | 32.3% |
| 2017 | 13.0% |
| 2018 | 29.4% |
| 2019 | 23.1% |
| 2020 | 40.0% |
| 2021 | 38.5% |
| 2022 | 19.2% |
| 2023 | 40.0% |
2023: 40.0%. Across these years the share ran from 13.0% to 40.0%. Each column counts radon tests reported to CDC that year, not homes.
What these figures count
Only 15 tests were reported to CDC for Wadena County over 2023, and tests are often run on homes being sold or already suspected of a problem: so few describe neither the county nor this house.
Measured: CDC tracking data. Figure above: 2023. Measured data period: 2005 to 2023 (every CDC figure on file).
Wadena County, Compared
Wadena County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411In Wadena County, about 4 in 10 reported tests over the 2007 to 2016 laboratory totals (51 of 135) were at or above EPA's action level. Against the national pool of 35.8%, the gap is 2.0 points higher. Across 87 Minnesota counties pooled together, 44.1% of tests reached that level, so Wadena County runs 6.3 points below its state.
The newest figure, in 2023, counts only 15 tests (40.0% at or above 4 pCi/L), too few to compare, so this reading uses the 135-test figure.
Of 5 neighbours with a figure, 4 reported a larger share at or above 4 pCi/L and 1 a smaller one; the spread is 34.5% (Cass County) to 56.4% (Otter Tail County). By share, Wadena County is 67th of 86 Minnesota counties with 30 or more tests for the same period.
Year by year, 2014 opened at 20.5% and 2018 closed at 29.4% (up 8.9 points), with 2016 the high at 32.3%. Half the tests came in under 3.1 pCi/L and half over it; the single highest reached 11.8 pCi/L. Below the action level, 35 tests (25.9%) came in under 2 pCi/L, against 26.9% statewide, and 49 tests (36.3%) fell between 2 and 4, against 29.0% statewide.
Zone 1 on EPA's map (predicted average above 4 pCi/L) and a 37.8% share point the same way here. USGS geology rates 99% of the county's land high radon potential. CDC also counts 7 tests taken after mitigation in Wadena County for the same period: tests in homes where a fix was already in.
The busiest year on file was 2015, with 74 tests reported; the quietest, 2020, had 10.
Wadena CountyMinnesota, pooled
29.4% % of tests38.3% % of tests
| Year | Tests | Wadena County, at or above 4 pCi/L | Minnesota, pooled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 39 | 20.5% | 42.9% |
| 2015 | 74 | 28.4% | 43.6% |
| 2016 | 31 | 32.3% | 37.0% |
| 2017 | 46 | 13.0% | 38.2% |
| 2018 | 34 | 29.4% | 38.3% |
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Wadena County, State data
Minnesota's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat Minnesota's own agencies publish about radon tests in Wadena 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 Wadena 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
30.7%
50 properties tested with one or more tests at or above 4 pCi/L
Median result
2.7 pCi/L
Average result
3.5 pCi/L
Tests behind these figures
16 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.
Wadena County, Geology
The ground under Wadena County
PredictedMost of the ground under Wadena County is one class on USGS's geologic map: 99.1% of its land is high radon potential, with 0.9% moderate. 99.1% of it lies in the area the map calls Central Lowland-Western Lake Section, 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-Western Lake Section | Sandy calcareous till derived from carbonate rocks. | High | 14 | 99.1% |
| Superior Upland/Central Lowland-Western Lake Section | Glacial deposits derived primarily from volcanic rock. | Moderate | 10 | 0.9% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
Wadena County beside the ground around it
Wadena County has more high-potential ground than Minnesota as a whole: 99.1% of its land against 61.1%. Of the 5 counties that border it, 2 have more high-potential ground, Becker County the most at 100%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
Wadena County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Wadena 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
Wadena County, Questions
Questions about radon in Wadena County
Are radon levels high in Wadena County?
In 2023, 40.0% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Wadena County, Minnesota were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 2.8 pCi/L. Of 86 Minnesota counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 66 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 44.1%.
Which counties border Wadena County?
Wadena County borders 5 counties: Todd County, Otter Tail County, Hubbard County, Becker County and Cass County.
Products
Wadena County, Products
Testing a home in Wadena County
In Wadena County, 37.8% of 135 tests reported to CDC over the 2007 to 2016 laboratory totals reached 4 pCi/L, against 44.1% pooled across Minnesota. In Zone 1 the year-round level in Wadena 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-3786 rechargeable radon monitor with a 3.5-inch color screen
- C-NRPP 2024/25: Not included
- Battery
- Alarm
- Screen
Method: Ion chamber
First reading: Within 10 minutes
Short-term kitFirst Alert
RD1 short-term charcoal radon test kit
- Lab fee included
Method: Charcoal
In home: 2 to 4 days
- See every kit and monitor Test kits and monitors
Test kits and monitors: 1 of 3
Wadena County is in EPA Zone 1, the highest predicted radon potential. Best radon monitors for Zone 1 counties like Wadena County
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Wadena County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Wadena County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Otter Tail CountyEPA zone 1
56.4%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 4.6 pCi/L · 546 tests · 18.6 points above Wadena County
- Radon levels in Becker CountyEPA zone 1
50.3%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 4.0 pCi/L · 294 tests · 12.5 points above Wadena County
- Radon levels in Todd CountyEPA zone 1
49.8%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.9 pCi/L · 215 tests · 12.0 points above Wadena County
- Radon levels in Hubbard CountyEPA zone 1
45.5%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.6 pCi/L · 213 tests · 7.7 points above Wadena County
- Radon levels in Cass CountyEPA zone 2
34.5%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.1 pCi/L · 472 tests · 3.3 points below Wadena County
Wadena County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Wadena County
The Census Bureau estimates 14,388 residents in Wadena County for July 1, 2025, 264 more than in 2020 (+1.9%). That works out to 27 people per square mile of land. Wadena, the largest place on its list (4,341 residents in all), extends beyond Wadena County, so no share of the total is worked out for it. Reported testing is thin here: 135 tests over 2007 to 2016, or 9.4 for every 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), where Minnesota as a whole comes to 20.7.
From Wadena to Aldrich, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Wadena County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wadenaextends beyond Wadena County | 4,341 | −0.4% | Counted whole |
| Staplesextends beyond Wadena County | 3,074 | +1.8% | Counted whole |
| Menahga | 1,361 | +1.4% | 9.5% |
| Sebeka | 751 | +1.1% | 5.2% |
| Verndale | 508 | −1.6% | 3.5% |
| Nimrod | 81 | −1.2% | 0.6% |
| Aldrich | 34 | Level | 0.2% |
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 Wadena County is counted whole, so it has no share.
Wadena County, Homes
Homes in Wadena County
Of Wadena County's 6,990 homes, 75% are detached houses, against 66% across Minnesota; 13% are in buildings of five or more homes. Half of its homes were built before 1974, close to Minnesota's 1978: 34% date from before 1960 and 20% from 2000 or later. 73% of occupied homes are lived in by their owner (Minnesota: 72%); in the rest a tenant can run a test, but a fix is the landlord's to make.
| Homes | Wadena County | Minnesota |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 6,990 | 2,519,538 |
| Detached houses | 75% | 66% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 13% | 19% |
| Mobile homes | 8% | 3% |
| Built before 1960 | 34% | 29% |
| Built since 2000 | 20% | 22% |
| Middle year built | 1974 | 1978 |
| Owner-occupied | 73% | 72% |
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.