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 Waseca County, Minnesota
EPA puts Waseca County in Zone 1, its highest radon zone, and high results are common there: 60.3% of the 63 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
60.3%
25.7 pts above MN
- Waseca
- 60.3%
- Minnesota
- 34.6%
63 tests, 2023
Median result
5.0pCi/L
Action level reached
- Waseca
- 5.0 pCi/L
- EPA
- 4.0 pCi/L
Midpoint of the tests, 2023
Tests reported
63
42nd of 62 by tests
- Waseca
- 63
- 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
12 of 62
Top quarter
- Waseca
- 60.3%
- Renville
- 75.7%
By share, of 62 with 30+ tests
Read a result for Waseca County
Starts at Waseca County's median, 5.0 pCi/L
EPA’s own thresholds; the figures are the area’s, never this home’s.
EPA’s reading of 5.0 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. Waseca County's median reported result, 2023.
The data
Waseca County, At a glance
Waseca County at a glance
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 1: highest predicted potential
EPA puts all of Waseca 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 Waseca County, 2023
| Year | Share of reported tests at or above 4 pCi/L |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 70.8% |
| 2015 | 60.3% |
| 2016 | 60.3% |
| 2017 | 56.6% |
| 2018 | 65.4% |
| 2019 | 45.0% |
| 2020 | 46.5% |
| 2021 | 55.1% |
| 2022 | 62.2% |
| 2023 | 60.3% |
2023: 60.3%. Across these years the share ran from 45.0% to 70.8%. Each column counts radon tests reported to CDC that year, not homes.
What these figures count
These are the 63 tests reported to CDC for Waseca 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).
Waseca County, Compared
Waseca County radon figures, compared
Calculated by Radon411More than half: 60.3% of the 63 radon tests reported to CDC for Waseca County in 2023 read at least 4 pCi/L. That places it 12th of 62 Minnesota counties with 30 or more tests for the same period. That is 25.7 points above the 34.6% pooled from 86 Minnesota counties.
The median result, 5.0 pCi/L, sits above EPA's 4 pCi/L action level, and the top reported result was 29.6 pCi/L. The rest split 19.0% under 2 pCi/L and 20.6% from 2 to 4 (Minnesota: 36.6% and 28.9%). Zone 1 on EPA's map (predicted average above 4 pCi/L) and a 60.3% share point the same way here.
3 of its 6 bordering counties with figures ran higher, led by Faribault County at 70.0%; Blue Earth County reported 32.7%. 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 120 tests reported; the quietest, 2019, had 20.
Over 9 years of annual figures the share fell 10.5 points, from 70.8% in 2014 to 60.3% in 2023; its peak was 70.8% in 2014. Nationally, every county with a figure for the same period pools to 33.4%; Waseca County sits 26.9 points above it.
Waseca CountyMinnesota, pooled
60.3% % of tests34.6% % of tests
| Year | Tests | Waseca County, at or above 4 pCi/L | Minnesota, pooled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 120 | 70.8% | 42.9% |
| 2015 | 63 | 60.3% | 43.6% |
| 2016 | 78 | 60.3% | 37.0% |
| 2017 | 53 | 56.6% | 38.2% |
| 2018 | 81 | 65.4% | 38.3% |
| 2020 | 43 | 46.5% | 31.8% |
| 2021 | 49 | 55.1% | 33.1% |
| 2022 | 37 | 62.2% | 31.6% |
| 2023 | 63 | 60.3% | 34.6% |
Pooled shares: Radon411's sum of CDC's county counts for one period.
Waseca County, State data
Minnesota's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat Minnesota's own agencies publish about radon tests in Waseca 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 Waseca 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
60.1%
338 properties tested with one or more tests at or above 4 pCi/L
Median result
4.4 pCi/L
Average result
5.8 pCi/L
Tests behind these figures
56 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.
Waseca County, Geology
The ground under Waseca County
PredictedUSGS's geologic map puts all of Waseca County's mapped land in one class: high radon potential. The map puts 85.1% of Waseca County in the area it calls Central Lowland-Till Prairie and 14.9% in Glacial Lake Deposits. USGS gives both 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 | 85.1% |
| Glacial Lake Deposits | Silt and clay glacial lake deposits. | High | 14 | 14.9% |
Names, descriptions and indexes: U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Radon Potential Map (2025). Shares: Radon411, from the map cut to the boundary.
Waseca County beside the ground around it
Waseca 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; Blue Earth County comes nearest at 100%.
The map rates the ground, not the air in any home.
Local help
Waseca County, Local resources
Radon testing and mitigation in Waseca 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
Waseca County, Questions
Questions about radon in Waseca County
Are radon levels high in Waseca County?
In 2023, 60.3% of the radon tests reported to CDC for Waseca County, Minnesota were at or above 4 pCi/L, and the median reported pre-mitigation result was 5.0 pCi/L. Of 62 Minnesota counties with 30 or more tests for the same period, 11 reported a higher share; pooled, the state comes to 34.6%.
Which counties border Waseca County?
Waseca County borders 6 counties: Steele County, Blue Earth County, Rice County, Freeborn County, Le Sueur County and Faribault County.
Products
Waseca County, Products
Testing a home in Waseca County
In Waseca County, 60.3% of 63 tests reported to CDC in 2023 reached 4 pCi/L, against 34.6% pooled across Minnesota. In Zone 1 the year-round level in Waseca 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 monitorMonitorSafetySiren
Pro4 plug-in radon detector with a display and alarm
- C-NRPP 2024/25: Not included
- Plug-in
- Alarm
- Screen
First reading: Within 48 hours
Short-term kit
Radon Short Term Test Kit short-term charcoal radon test kit, lab fee included
- Lab fee included
Method: Charcoal
In home: 2 to 7 days
- See every kit and monitor Test kits and monitors
Test kits and monitors: 1 of 3
Waseca County is in EPA Zone 1, the highest predicted radon potential. Best radon monitors for Zone 1 counties like Waseca County
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Waseca County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Waseca County
Calculated by Radon411- Radon levels in Faribault CountyEPA zone 1
70.0%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 8.1 pCi/L · 30 tests · 9.7 points above Waseca County
- Radon levels in Freeborn CountyEPA zone 1
67.6%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 5.1 pCi/L · 71 tests · 7.3 points above Waseca County
- Radon levels in Le Sueur CountyEPA zone 1
62.2%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 5.1 pCi/L · 135 tests · 1.9 points above Waseca County
- Radon levels in Steele CountyEPA zone 1
51.4%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 4.0 pCi/L · 140 tests · 8.9 points below Waseca County
- Radon levels in Rice CountyEPA zone 1
40.4%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 3.2 pCi/L · 297 tests · 19.9 points below Waseca County
- Radon levels in Blue Earth CountyEPA zone 1
32.7%at or above 4 pCi/L
Median 2.2 pCi/L · 392 tests · 27.6 points below Waseca County
Waseca County, Cities and towns
Cities and towns in Waseca County
About 18,688 people live in Waseca County by the Census Bureau's estimate for July 1, 2025, 285 fewer than in 2020 (−1.5%). That works out to 44 people per square mile of land. Its largest town, Waseca, has 9,035 residents, 48.3% of the total. CDC's 63 reported tests for 2023 work out to 3.4 per 1,000 residents (2025 estimate), close to Minnesota's 3.9.
From Waseca to Waldorf, CDC publishes no figure by town: each reads Waseca County's.
| Place | Residents | Since 2020 | Share of residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waseca | 9,035 | −2.1% | 48.3% |
| Janesville | 2,473 | +1.0% | 13.2% |
| New Richland | 1,194 | −3.1% | 6.4% |
| Elysianextends beyond Waseca County | 765 | +8.2% | Counted whole |
| Waldorf | 202 | −1.5% | 1.1% |
5 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 Waseca County is counted whole, so it has no share.
Waseca County, Homes
Homes in Waseca County
Waseca County is a place of houses on their own lots: 81% of its 7,910 homes are detached single-family houses, against 66% across Minnesota. The homes are older than Minnesota's as a whole: half were built before 1970 (1978 for Minnesota), and 41% date from before 1960. Owners live in 79% of the occupied homes (Minnesota: 72%), so for most households a test and a fix are their own to order.
| Homes | Waseca County | Minnesota |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 7,910 | 2,519,538 |
| Detached houses | 81% | 66% |
| In buildings of 5 or more | 10% | 19% |
| Mobile homes | 3% | 3% |
| Built before 1960 | 41% | 29% |
| Built since 2000 | 12% | 22% |
| Middle year built | 1970 | 1978 |
| Owner-occupied | 79% | 72% |
Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023: estimates from a sample of homes, looser for a small place. Shares by Radon411.