Cook County, MN radon potential

EPA places Cook County in Zone 2 - Moderate Potential — a predicted county-wide average indoor radon level between 2 and 4 pCi/L, based on the geology, soil and aerial radioactivity data behind EPA's national map. Rank it against the rest of the country and Cook County lands in the 36th percentile for radon potential.

How Cook County compares

Cook County, Minnesota is home to about 5,571 people across 1,452.604 square miles. Averaged across its land area, Cook County runs about 4 people per square mile. Within its own EPA zone, Cook County is bigger by population than 10% of the counties that share it. EPA's geology-based Region 5 groups Cook County with 523 other counties nationally sharing its underlying rock and soil profile.

What this actually means for a house in Cook County

Call it a middle case: above the 1.3 pCi/L most US homes average, below the 4 pCi/L line EPA uses to recommend mitigation — that's Cook County's Zone 2 prediction. Cook County's Zone 2 rating sits in the middle nationally; EPA's guidance is unchanged by that — test every home regardless of its zone.

If Cook County tests above the action level

A short-term test kit is the standard first step and typically costs far less than mitigation itself. If a test comes back at or above 4 pCi/L, a radon mitigation system for a typical home runs roughly $800–$2,500 (around $1,200 for a common single-family install), driven mainly by foundation type, not by county.

Find Minnesota's state radon program

For Cook County, an ongoing number beats a one-time test - a Airthings radon monitor tracks Cook County's levels over time. RadonZoneCheck earns a commission there, at no extra cost to you. RADONZONE-10OFF at checkout knocks 10% off.

Where Cook County's figures come from

The methodology guide shows exactly which EPA and Census sources feed Cook County's numbers. If you're unsure why a low zone still deserves a test, the zone explainer covers that directly.