Radon Mitigation in Mount Wolf, PA
Updated
PA DEP has 1,258 home radon tests on record from the ZIP code that cover Mount Wolf (17347). 58.1% came back at or above the EPA's 4.0 pCi/L action level, against 52.5% for York County as a whole. That puts Mount Wolf clearly above the county as a whole. A standard system here typically costs $800 to $1,500. The only way to know about one house is to test it.
Mount Wolf is a borough in York County with about 1,108 residents and 518 homes, median year built 1948. It is surrounded by East Manchester Township. The borough is named for George H. Wolf, the local stationmaster and postmaster in the 1850s. 58.1% of PA DEP radon tests in its ZIP codes came back at or above the action level, above the county's 52.5%.
What the PA DEP test records show for Mount Wolf
ZIP 17347 covers 95% of Mount Wolf's land, so these numbers are about as local as public radon data gets.
| ZIP | Tests | Median pCi/L | 4+ pCi/L | 10+ | 20+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17347 | 1,258 | 5.1 | 58.1% | 34.5% | 19.5% |
| York County | 98,845 | 4.3 | 52.5% | 26.8% | 13.1% |
The share that matters most is the 20+ column. 19.5% 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 304 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 17347, basement tests have a median of 5.3 pCi/L, while tests taken on the first floor have a median of 2.7 pCi/L (78 first-floor tests). The gap is smaller than in most of the county, which means readings upstairs here are not much of a relief from the basement number.
It also explains why two neighbors can get very different results. One tested a finished basement, the other tested a first-floor bedroom. For a decision about mitigation, the test that counts is the one from the lowest level anyone spends time in.
Radon results by decade in ZIP 17347
| Decade tested | Tests | Median pCi/L | 4+ pCi/L |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 103 | 5 | 54.4% |
| 2000s | 311 | 5.8 | 63.3% |
| 2010s | 645 | 5.1 | 58.8% |
| 2020s | 196 | 3.8 | 49% |
The share peaked in the 2000s at 63.3% and sits at 49% 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 Mount Wolf has not changed. 196 tests have been logged in 17347 since 2020, so people here are still testing.
Housing in Mount Wolf and what it means for a system
Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024:
| Mount Wolf | York County | |
|---|---|---|
| Homes (housing units) | 518 | 189,857 |
| Median year built | 1948 | 1976 |
| Built before 1940 | 32% | 18.3% |
| Built before 1980 | 91.9% | 54.8% |
| Built 2000 or later | 4.4% | 20.6% |
| Single-family detached | 62.7% | 64.3% |
| Attached (rowhome, townhouse) | 23.9% | 17.1% |
| Mobile homes | 0% | 4.1% |
| Owner-occupied | 67.1% | 76.3% |
32% of the homes in Mount Wolf 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 23.9% 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.
Cost-wise, expect older houses in Mount Wolf 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 Mount Wolf
Public schools here are part of Northeastern York School District. The borough is named for George H. Wolf, the local stationmaster and postmaster in the 1850s.
Installers must hold a PA DEP radon mitigation certification (how to check), and permit questions go to the borough office at mtwolfpa.gov.
Common questions
Is radon a problem in Mount Wolf?
Yes. PA DEP has 1,258 tests on record from the ZIP code covering Mount Wolf, and 58.1% of them came back at or above the EPA's 4.0 pCi/L action level. 19.5% were at 20 pCi/L or more. The county-wide rate is 52.5%.
What is the average radon level in ZIP 17347?
The median of 1,258 PA DEP tests in ZIP 17347 is 5.1 pCi/L and the mean is 14.2 pCi/L. A mean that far above the median means a long tail of very high readings, topping out at 304 pCi/L.
Nearby
Manchester Borough 41%, East Manchester Township 50.6%, Conewago Township 49.1%, Hellam Township 53.7%, Newberry Township 41.8%. Share of PA DEP tests at or above 4.0 pCi/L, against 58.1% here.
Have a test result from Mount Wolf?
Send us the number and the foundation type, or call and read it out.
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