Borough, York County

Radon Mitigation in Dillsburg, PA

Updated September 30, 2026

Dillsburg is a borough in York County with about 2,629 residents and 1,079 homes, median year built 1983. It is surrounded by Carroll Township. Dill's Tavern, founded in the 1750s, is on the National Register of Historic Places. 47.4% of PA DEP radon tests in its ZIP codes came back at or above the action level, below the county's 52.5%.

What the PA DEP test records show for Dillsburg

ZIP 17019 covers essentially all of Dillsburg, so these numbers are about as local as public radon data gets.

Look past the median to the high end. One test in 14 here came in at 20 pCi/L or more, five times the action level, and the highest reading on record is 228 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 17019, basement tests have a median of 4 pCi/L, while tests taken on the first floor have a median of 1.8 pCi/L (614 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.

Radon results by decade in ZIP 17019

The share peaked in the 2000s at 54.1% and sits at 41% 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 Dillsburg has not changed. 1,234 tests have been logged in 17019 since 2020, so people here are still testing.

Housing in Dillsburg and what it means for a system

Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024:

26.7% of the homes in Dillsburg 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.

9.5% of homes in Dillsburg are mobile or manufactured homes, well above the county's 4.1%. Those sit over a crawlspace or skirted pad rather than a basement, and the fix is different: a sealed membrane over the soil with suction under it. See crawlspace radon for what that involves.

Cost-wise, expect older houses in Dillsburg 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 Dillsburg

Public schools here are part of Northern York County School District. Dill's Tavern, founded in the 1750s, is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Installers must hold a PA DEP radon mitigation certification (how to check), and permit questions go to the borough office at www.dillsburg.com.

Common questions

Is radon a problem in Dillsburg?

Yes. PA DEP has 5,858 tests on record from the ZIP code covering Dillsburg, and 47.4% of them came back at or above the EPA's 4.0 pCi/L action level. 6.9% were at 20 pCi/L or more. The county-wide rate is 52.5%.

What is the average radon level in ZIP 17019?

The median of 5,858 PA DEP tests in ZIP 17019 is 3.6 pCi/L and the mean is 7.2 pCi/L. The top reading on record there is 228 pCi/L.

Nearby

Carroll Township 47.4%, Franklin Township 47.4%, Franklintown 47.4%, Monaghan Township 46.6%, Warrington Township 46%. Share of PA DEP tests at or above 4.0 pCi/L, against 47.4% here.