Dakota County, MN: EPA's radon zone, explained

EPA's own radon map rates Dakota County zone 1 - highest potential, predicting a county-wide average indoor level above 4 pCi/L. Nationally that's the 98th percentile for radon potential — Dakota County outranks 98% of every county EPA has rated.

Dakota County by the numbers

Dakota County, Minnesota is home to about 453,156 people across 562.558 square miles. That works out to roughly 806 people per square mile. By population, Dakota County is the 48th largest of every county sharing its EPA zone — the 96th percentile by population within that zone. Geologically, Dakota County is grouped into EPA Region 5 alongside 523 other counties that share its rock and soil setting.

Why the zone isn't the answer by itself

Dakota County's predicted average sits above EPA's own action level of 4 pCi/L — the concentration at which EPA recommends fixing a home — versus a national average around 1.3 pCi/L indoors and 0.4 pCi/L outdoors. That doesn't mean every Dakota County house tests high — a zone is a county-wide prediction, never a single-home reading — but it's a reason to test sooner rather than let it wait.

Testing and mitigation in Dakota County

For a Dakota County homeowner, the order is simple: test first, since a kit costs a small fraction of what mitigation would. Only if the result clears 4 pCi/L does a system — typically $800–$2,500, about $1,200 for a common install — become worth pricing out.

Find Minnesota's state radon program

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

Where Dakota County's figures come from

Every figure on this page traces to EPA's own Map of Radon Zones and Census data, documented in the methodology guide. Whatever zone Dakota County carries, the zone explainer covers what it does and doesn't tell you about any one house.