Borough, York County

Radon Mitigation in Franklintown, PA

Updated September 30, 2026

Franklintown is a borough in York County with about 480 residents and 251 homes, median year built 1991. It is surrounded by Franklin Township. The borough was incorporated in 1869. 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 Franklintown

ZIP 17019 covers 74% of Franklintown's land, so these numbers are about as local as public radon data gets.

The share that matters most is the 20+ column. 6.9% 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 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 Franklintown has not changed. 1,234 tests have been logged in 17019 since 2020, so people here are still testing.

Housing in Franklintown and what it means for a system

Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024:

About 25.1% 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 54.4% of homes in Franklintown 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, most houses in Franklintown are the standard $800 to $1,500 sub-slab job, with block walls or a second suction point pushing toward $2,500. Full ranges on the cost page.

Where we work in Franklintown

The borough was incorporated in 1869.

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

Common questions

Is radon a problem in Franklintown?

Yes. PA DEP has 5,858 tests on record from the ZIP code covering Franklintown, 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%, Dillsburg 47.4%, Franklin Township 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.