Radon Mitigation in Yorkana, PA
Updated
PA DEP has 4,025 home radon tests on record from the ZIP code that cover Yorkana (17406). 52.6% came back at or above the EPA's 4.0 pCi/L action level, against 52.5% for York County as a whole. That is close to the county-wide rate, which is itself about one test in two. A standard system here typically costs $800 to $1,500. The only way to know about one house is to test it.
Yorkana is a borough in York County with about 247 residents and 97 homes, median year built 1952. It is surrounded by Lower Windsor Township. 52.6% 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 Yorkana
ZIP 17406 covers essentially all of Yorkana, so these numbers are about as local as public radon data gets.
| ZIP | Tests | Median pCi/L | 4+ pCi/L | 10+ | 20+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17406 | 4,025 | 4.3 | 52.6% | 27.4% | 14.3% |
| York County | 98,845 | 4.3 | 52.5% | 26.8% | 13.1% |
The share that matters most is the 20+ column. 14.3% 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 410 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 17406, basement tests have a median of 5.3 pCi/L, while tests taken on the first floor have a median of 1.7 pCi/L (610 first-floor tests). The basement number runs 3.1 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.
This matters for what you test. The PA DEP and EPA guidance is to test the lowest level you use or could use as living space. If the basement is finished, or might be someday, test it there. A finished rec room at 5.3 pCi/L is a different decision from an unfinished storage basement you rarely stand in.
Radon results by decade in ZIP 17406
| Decade tested | Tests | Median pCi/L | 4+ pCi/L |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 123 | 5.9 | 61% |
| 2000s | 552 | 7.2 | 64.9% |
| 2010s | 2,347 | 4.3 | 52.5% |
| 2020s | 993 | 3.2 | 45.1% |
The share peaked in the 2000s at 64.9% and sits at 45.1% 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 Yorkana has not changed. 993 tests have been logged in 17406 since 2020, so people here are still testing.
Housing in Yorkana and what it means for a system
Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024:
| Yorkana | York County | |
|---|---|---|
| Homes (housing units) | 97 | 189,857 |
| Median year built | 1952 | 1976 |
| Built before 1940 | 44.3% | 18.3% |
| Built before 1980 | 80.4% | 54.8% |
| Built 2000 or later | 7.2% | 20.6% |
| Single-family detached | 76.3% | 64.3% |
| Attached (rowhome, townhouse) | 5.2% | 17.1% |
| Mobile homes | 0% | 4.1% |
| Owner-occupied | 73.6% | 76.3% |
44.3% of the homes in Yorkana 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.
76.3% of homes in Yorkana are single-family detached. A detached house with a basement is the easiest layout to mitigate: one suction point through the slab, a fan outside or in the garage, and a vent above the roof line. It is the standard sub-slab depressurization job covered step by step on our mitigation process page, and it usually lands in the middle of the cost range.
Cost-wise, expect older houses in Yorkana 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 Yorkana
Main roads include Mount Pisgah Road. Public schools here are part of Eastern York School District.
Installers must hold a PA DEP radon mitigation certification (how to check), and permit questions go to the borough office at yorkanaborough.com.
Common questions
Is radon a problem in Yorkana?
Yes. PA DEP has 4,025 tests on record from the ZIP code covering Yorkana, and 52.6% of them came back at or above the EPA's 4.0 pCi/L action level. 14.3% were at 20 pCi/L or more. The county-wide rate is 52.5%.
What is the average radon level in ZIP 17406?
The median of 4,025 PA DEP tests in ZIP 17406 is 4.3 pCi/L and the mean is 11.4 pCi/L. A mean that far above the median means a long tail of very high readings, topping out at 410 pCi/L.
Nearby
Hallam 52.6%, Hellam Township 53.7%, Springettsbury Township 54.1%, Manchester Township 51.3%, Lower Windsor Township 55.5%. Share of PA DEP tests at or above 4.0 pCi/L, against 52.6% here.
Have a test result from Yorkana?
Send us the number and the foundation type, or call and read it out.
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