Twin Cities Radon Testing and Awareness Guide

The Twin Cities share a regional radon concern, but they do not share one predicted county zone or one testing result. This page connects the official map, Minnesota testing steps, winter conditions, local kit programs, reusable monitors, and home sale rules without turning every suburb into a separate thin page.

Hennepin Zone 1 does not predict a Minneapolis address

The EPA Map of Radon Zones places Hennepin, Ramsey, Dakota, Washington, Carver, Scott, and Wright counties in Zone 1. Zone 1 means the county has the highest predicted potential, with an average above 4.0 pCi/L.

Nearby Anoka and Chisago counties are Zone 2, with a predicted county average from 2.0 to 4.0 pCi/L. That difference is useful regional context, but neither color is a result for a home. EPA designed the map to help programs target resources, not to replace testing.

Two neighboring homes can have different foundation openings, pressure patterns, ventilation, and soil connections. Test the home you are making a decision about.

Minnesota heating season is useful for short testing

The Minnesota Department of Health testing page says a short-term test can be completed at any time, but heating season is the better time. Windows and exterior doors are more consistently closed, and heating can affect the pressure that draws soil gas indoors.

Any test under three months requires closed-home conditions. Keep windows and exterior doors closed except for normal entry and exit. Operate heating and cooling normally. Wait if severe or unusually windy weather is expected, because weather can affect a short result.

The site’s MDH-aligned testing checklist covers room choice, placement height, wall and window distance, weather, timing, and the required follow-up.

The first result chooses the follow-up

MDH says to start with a short-term test. A first result from 0 to 1.9 pCi/L leads to routine retesting every 2 to 5 years. A result from 2 to 7.9 calls for a long-term follow-up. A result of 8 or higher calls for another short-term test.

Use the approved follow-up result for the decision. MDH recommends mitigation at 4.0 pCi/L or higher and says to consider mitigation from 2.0 to 3.9 pCi/L.

A reusable consumer monitor can show patterns around those tests. It is not the device MDH recommends for a real estate transaction or mitigation decision. The monitor and mail-in comparison explains the separate roles.

Local kit programs vary across the metro

Official programs differ by county, funding, stock, and residency:

Ramsey County lists a reduced-price short-term kit by mail for county residents.
Dakota County lists pickup kits and says its price changed in spring 2026.
Washington County lists free pickup locations for county residents.
Minneapolis says it is no longer accepting free-kit requests because of demand and points residents to low-cost online options.
Hennepin County links to short-term and long-term vendors and provides environmental health contacts.
MDH links to local contacts and a statewide Air Chek discount for Minnesota residents.

Use the local kit page to open the current official pages. Confirm stock, residency, pickup, mailing, and laboratory fee details before relying on an old price or announcement.

A continuous monitor can stay in one room for days or weeks, move to another level, or be lent to family, friends, and coworkers. Sharing can make ongoing awareness more accessible than buying repeated disposable kits only to observe daily movement.

Keep placement and date notes. Save the averages before moving the device. A new room or household starts a new context. The sharing checklist provides a simple handoff process.

The featured monitor comparison lists View Plus, Wave Plus, and View Radon with Airthings list prices, calculated ARS10 prices, direct product links, and the limits MDH places on consumer monitor use.

Minnesota home sales need the state process

Minnesota’s Radon Awareness Act requires disclosure and education before a purchase agreement is signed. It does not require a test or mitigation to close. Buyers and sellers negotiate testing and payment.

MDH recommends a licensed measurement professional when an unbiased third party is needed for a real estate transaction. A pre-list consumer monitor can support awareness, but it does not replace the negotiated sale test. Read the site’s home sale guide and the official MDH real estate page.

This site is an independent educational and affiliate guide. It does not offer or arrange American Radon Systems mitigation or measurement work in Minnesota. Use the MDH licensed provider search when a Minnesota professional is needed.