Radon Mitigation in Wrightsville, PA
Updated
PA DEP has 1,351 home radon tests on record from the ZIP code that cover Wrightsville (17368). 56.9% came back at or above the EPA's 4.0 pCi/L action level, against 52.5% for York County as a whole. Roughly in line with York County overall, where about half of all tests come back high. A standard system here typically costs $800 to $1,500. The only way to know about one house is to test it.
Wrightsville is a borough in York County with about 1,869 residents and 848 homes, median year built 1944. It sits on the Susquehanna next to Hellam Township. Wrightsville overlooks the Susquehanna River and was among George Washington's choices for the site of the U.S. capital. 56.9% 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 Wrightsville
ZIP 17368 covers essentially all of Wrightsville, so these numbers are about as local as public radon data gets.
| ZIP | Tests | Median pCi/L | 4+ pCi/L | 10+ | 20+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17368 | 1,351 | 5.2 | 56.9% | 31.8% | 16.3% |
| York County | 98,845 | 4.3 | 52.5% | 26.8% | 13.1% |
Look past the median to the high end. One test in 6 here came in at 20 pCi/L or more, five times the action level, and the highest reading on record is 1,041 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 17368, basement tests have a median of 7.5 pCi/L, while tests taken on the first floor have a median of 2.9 pCi/L (151 first-floor tests). The basement number runs 2.6 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.
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 17368
| Decade tested | Tests | Median pCi/L | 4+ pCi/L |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 287 | 7.5 | 70.4% |
| 2010s | 755 | 4.1 | 50.9% |
| 2020s | 212 | 5 | 56.1% |
The share peaked in the 2000s at 70.4% and sits at 56.1% 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 Wrightsville has not changed. 212 tests have been logged in 17368 since 2020, so people here are still testing.
Housing in Wrightsville and what it means for a system
Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024:
| Wrightsville | York County | |
|---|---|---|
| Homes (housing units) | 848 | 189,857 |
| Median year built | 1944 | 1976 |
| Built before 1940 | 46.1% | 18.3% |
| Built before 1980 | 86.1% | 54.8% |
| Built 2000 or later | 5.8% | 20.6% |
| Single-family detached | 54.1% | 64.3% |
| Attached (rowhome, townhouse) | 22.9% | 17.1% |
| Mobile homes | 1.8% | 4.1% |
| Owner-occupied | 67.9% | 76.3% |
46.1% of the homes in Wrightsville 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 22.9% 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 Wrightsville 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 Wrightsville
Public schools here are part of Eastern York School District. Wrightsville overlooks the Susquehanna River and was among George Washington's choices for the site of the U.S. capital.
Installers must hold a PA DEP radon mitigation certification (how to check), and permit questions go to the borough office at www.wrightsvilleborough.com.
Common questions
Is radon a problem in Wrightsville?
Yes. PA DEP has 1,351 tests on record from the ZIP code covering Wrightsville, and 56.9% of them came back at or above the EPA's 4.0 pCi/L action level. 16.3% were at 20 pCi/L or more. The county-wide rate is 52.5%.
What is the average radon level in ZIP 17368?
The median of 1,351 PA DEP tests in ZIP 17368 is 5.2 pCi/L and the mean is 17.5 pCi/L. A mean that far above the median means a long tail of very high readings, topping out at 1,041 pCi/L.
Nearby
Lower Windsor Township 55.5%, East Prospect 55.4%, Hellam Township 53.7%. Share of PA DEP tests at or above 4.0 pCi/L, against 56.9% here.
Have a test result from Wrightsville?
Send us the number and the foundation type, or call and read it out.
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