Radon Mitigation in Railroad, PA
Updated
PA DEP has 37 home radon tests on record from the ZIP code that cover Railroad (17355). 83.8% 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 Railroad 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.
Railroad is a borough in York County with about 335 residents and 148 homes, median year built 1938. It is surrounded by Shrewsbury Township. The Railroad Borough Historic District grew up around the Northern Central Railway between Baltimore and Harrisburg. 83.8% 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 Railroad
ZIP 17355 covers essentially all of Railroad, so these numbers are about as local as public radon data gets.
| ZIP | Tests | Median pCi/L | 4+ pCi/L | 10+ | 20+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17355 | 37 | 9 | 83.8% | 37.8% | 8.1% |
| York County | 98,845 | 4.3 | 52.5% | 26.8% | 13.1% |
Half of the story is the median. The other half is the tail: 37.8% of tests here were 10 pCi/L or higher and 8.1% were 20 or higher. The top reading on record in these ZIP codes is 25 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.
Housing in Railroad and what it means for a system
Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024:
| Railroad | York County | |
|---|---|---|
| Homes (housing units) | 148 | 189,857 |
| Median year built | 1938 | 1976 |
| Built before 1940 | 77.7% | 18.3% |
| Built before 1980 | 89.2% | 54.8% |
| Built 2000 or later | 4.1% | 20.6% |
| Single-family detached | 33.1% | 64.3% |
| Attached (rowhome, townhouse) | 10.1% | 17.1% |
| Mobile homes | 3.4% | 4.1% |
| Owner-occupied | 38.3% | 76.3% |
77.7% of the homes in Railroad 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.
Only about 38.3% of homes in Railroad 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 Railroad 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 Railroad
The Railroad Borough Historic District grew up around the Northern Central Railway between Baltimore and Harrisburg.
Installers must hold a PA DEP radon mitigation certification (how to check).
Common questions
Is radon a problem in Railroad?
Yes. PA DEP has 37 tests on record from the ZIP code covering Railroad, and 83.8% of them came back at or above the EPA's 4.0 pCi/L action level. 8.1% were at 20 pCi/L or more. The county-wide rate is 52.5%.
What is the average radon level in ZIP 17355?
The median of 37 PA DEP tests in ZIP 17355 is 9 pCi/L and the mean is 9.7 pCi/L. The top reading on record there is 25 pCi/L.
Have a test result from Railroad?
Send us the number and the foundation type, or call and read it out.
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