Radon Mitigation in Dallastown, PA
Updated
PA DEP has 2,420 home radon tests on record from the ZIP code that cover Dallastown (17313). 65.7% came back at or above the EPA's 4.0 pCi/L action level, against 52.5% for York County as a whole. That is well above the county rate, so Dallastown sits among the higher-testing parts of York County. A standard system here typically costs $800 to $1,500. The only way to know about one house is to test it.
Dallastown has the highest radon rate of any municipality on this site. ZIP 17313 has 2,420 PA DEP tests on record, a median of 7.6 pCi/L, and 66% at or above the action level, against 53% county-wide. It is a compact, older borough: a third of its homes predate 1940, and fewer than half are owner-occupied, so a lot of residents rent.
What the PA DEP test records show for Dallastown
ZIP 17313 covers essentially all of Dallastown, so these numbers are about as local as public radon data gets.
| ZIP | Tests | Median pCi/L | 4+ pCi/L | 10+ | 20+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17313 | 2,420 | 7.6 | 65.7% | 42.6% | 23.1% |
| York County | 98,845 | 4.3 | 52.5% | 26.8% | 13.1% |
The share that matters most is the 20+ column. 23.1% of tests here came in at 20 pCi/L or more, five times the action level. The single highest reading on record in these ZIP codes is 292 pCi/L. Neighboring houses can differ by a factor of ten, so none of this tells you what your house is. It tells you the odds are high enough that a $15 to $30 test kit is worth buying.
Tests people chose to run, not a random survey. Details on the York County radon levels page.
Basement readings versus first-floor readings
In ZIP 17313, basement tests have a median of 8.3 pCi/L, while tests taken on the first floor have a median of 3.8 pCi/L (222 first-floor tests). The basement number runs 2.2 times the first-floor number, which is the usual pattern: radon comes up from the soil, so it is strongest at the lowest level and gets diluted as it moves up through the house.
This matters for what you test. The PA DEP and EPA guidance is to test the lowest level you use or could use as living space. If the basement is finished, or might be someday, test it there. A finished rec room at 8.3 pCi/L is a different decision from an unfinished storage basement you rarely stand in.
Radon results by decade in ZIP 17313
| Decade tested | Tests | Median pCi/L | 4+ pCi/L |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 510 | 8.6 | 69.8% |
| 2000s | 547 | 9.7 | 69.3% |
| 2010s | 928 | 7.7 | 66.1% |
| 2020s | 416 | 5.2 | 56.5% |
The share peaked in the 1990s at 69.8% and sits at 56.5% for tests since 2020. A drop that size is mostly about who is testing, not the ground. More recent tests come from home sales and from retests after a system went in, and both pull the share down. The rock under Dallastown has not changed. 416 tests have been logged in 17313 since 2020, so people here are still testing.
The ground under Dallastown
Dallastown is in the Piedmont Upland of south-central York County, on metamorphic rock rather than the York Valley's limestone.
Nearly a quarter of tests here (23%) came in at 20 pCi/L or higher. First-floor readings are high too, with a median of 3.8 pCi/L, so moving a bedroom upstairs is not much of a fix.
Housing in Dallastown and what it means for a system
Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024:
| Dallastown | York County | |
|---|---|---|
| Homes (housing units) | 1,669 | 189,857 |
| Median year built | 1958 | 1976 |
| Built before 1940 | 33.6% | 18.3% |
| Built before 1980 | 79.5% | 54.8% |
| Built 2000 or later | 6.4% | 20.6% |
| Single-family detached | 42.5% | 64.3% |
| Attached (rowhome, townhouse) | 22.5% | 17.1% |
| Mobile homes | 0% | 4.1% |
| Owner-occupied | 45.1% | 76.3% |
33.6% of the homes in Dallastown were built before 1940, against 18.3% county-wide. Houses that old usually sit on stone or early block foundations with no vapor barrier and plenty of joints, which gives soil gas more ways in. They are still very fixable. The installer just spends more time sealing, and sometimes needs a second suction point, which is why these jobs tend to land toward the upper end of the cost range.
About 22.5% of homes here are attached: rowhomes, twins and townhouses. A shared wall does not stop radon, and neither does a neighbor's system, so each unit needs its own test. The tricky part is pipe routing, since there is often no side yard to run the vent up. Our rowhome radon guide covers how installers handle it.
Only about 45.1% of homes in Dallastown are owner-occupied, so a lot of people here rent. Pennsylvania does not require landlords to test, but a tenant can ask, and a landlord can test between tenancies without much hassle. Our landlord testing guide covers the details.
Cost-wise, expect older houses in Dallastown to land in the $1,200 to $2,500 part of the range once sealing and a possible second suction point are counted. Newer houses are usually the standard $800 to $1,500 job. Full ranges on the cost page.
Where we work in Dallastown
Routes 74 and 214 cross the borough. Public schools here are part of the Dallastown Area School District. The borough was incorporated in 1866 and named for George M. Dallas, vice president under James K. Polk.
Installers must hold a PA DEP radon mitigation certification (how to check), and permit questions go to the borough office at dallastownboro.com.
Common questions
Is radon a problem in Dallastown?
Yes. PA DEP has 2,420 tests on record from the ZIP code covering Dallastown, and 65.7% of them came back at or above the EPA's 4.0 pCi/L action level. 23.1% were at 20 pCi/L or more. The county-wide rate is 52.5%.
What is the average radon level in ZIP 17313?
The median of 2,420 PA DEP tests in ZIP 17313 is 7.6 pCi/L and the mean is 15.6 pCi/L. A mean that far above the median means a long tail of very high readings, topping out at 292 pCi/L.
I rent in Dallastown. Can I get my apartment tested?
Yes. A $15 to $30 short-term kit works in a rental, and you can share the result with your landlord. Pennsylvania does not require landlords to test or mitigate, but a written result is the best starting point for that conversation. See radon testing for landlords.
Nearby
York Township 57%, Red Lion 60.9%, Spring Garden Township 55.2%. Share of PA DEP tests at or above 4.0 pCi/L, against 65.7% here.
Have a test result from Dallastown?
Send us the number and the foundation type, or call and read it out.
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