Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas that comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil and rock and collects in houses, usually entering through the foundation. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates it causes about 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the United States every year. Pennsylvania's own basement test results average far above the national indoor figure, and every home in our area should be tested. The good news for buyers and sellers is that radon is easy to measure, and in most houses a fix can be installed in less than a day.
The Numbers That Matter
Radon is measured in picocuries per liter of air. EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or higher, and considering a fix between 2 and 4. EPA's map of radon zones places both Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties in Zone 1, counties with a predicted average indoor screening level above 4 pCi/L. The same map notes that all homes should be tested regardless of zone.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection says about 40% of the homes tested in the state have levels above 4. Its database of short-term test results by ZIP code, covering January 1990 through December 2025 and more than two million results, shows a statewide basement average of 7.1 pCi/L. EPA puts the national average indoor level at 1.3. The two are measured differently, since short-term basement tests under closed-house conditions generally read higher than year-round levels in living areas, but the gap is large.
Test Results Near You
These are the Department of Environmental Protection's figures for basement tests in ZIP codes across the two counties. They are averages of tests homeowners and buyers chose to run, all of them short-term tests under closed-house conditions, which the Department notes tend to read higher than year-long tests. An average for a ZIP code tells you radon is present in the area. It does not tell you the level in any particular house.
| ZIP Code | Area | Basement Tests | Average Basement Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18640 | Pittston | 1,991 | 3.7 pCi/L |
| 18641 | Avoca | 851 | 6.1 pCi/L |
| 18642 | Duryea | 679 | 4.2 pCi/L |
| 18643 | West Pittston | 2,006 | 3.6 pCi/L |
| 18644 | Wyoming | 1,601 | 4.7 pCi/L |
| 18702 | Wilkes-Barre | 4,089 | 2.8 pCi/L |
| 18704 | Kingston | 5,072 | 3.7 pCi/L |
| 18706 | Hanover Township | 868 | 2.7 pCi/L |
| 18707 | Mountain Top | 5,124 | 4.4 pCi/L |
| 18708 | Shavertown | 2,779 | 5.7 pCi/L |
| 18612 | Dallas | 4,098 | 4.7 pCi/L |
| 18634 | Nanticoke | 1,354 | 4.0 pCi/L |
| 18655 | Shickshinny | 644 | 6.9 pCi/L |
| 18661 | White Haven | 843 | 5.6 pCi/L |
| 18201 | Hazleton | 1,973 | 3.2 pCi/L |
| 18222 | Drums | 2,500 | 7.0 pCi/L |
| 18249 | Sugarloaf | 924 | 10.7 pCi/L |
| 18411 | Clarks Summit | 7,316 | 4.7 pCi/L |
| 18444 | Moscow | 1,650 | 5.0 pCi/L |
| 18447 | Olyphant | 1,137 | 4.5 pCi/L |
| 18504 | Scranton | 1,982 | 3.1 pCi/L |
| 18512 | Dunmore | 2,007 | 3.5 pCi/L |
| 18518 | Old Forge | 1,283 | 4.3 pCi/L |
Look at the highest single results as well. The same database records individual basement tests above 100 pCi/L in many of these ZIP codes, including a maximum of 2,284 in 18704 and 1,938 in 18708. A home with a low neighborhood average can still test high.
How a Real Estate Radon Test Works
In Pennsylvania anyone who tests for radon for someone else, or installs a mitigation system, must be certified by the Department of Environmental Protection. Owners may test their own homes. For a sale, the test is usually run by a certified tester during the buyer's inspection period, and state rules set how it is done.
- The test runs at least 48 hours, under closed-house conditions that begin at least 12 hours before it starts. Windows and exterior doors stay closed except for normal coming and going.
- A continuous monitor must collect at least 44 hours of usable data.
- Real estate tests use anti-tampering devices, a signed agreement on test conditions, and a notice posted that a test is in progress.
- The tester must deliver the result report to the client within 10 business days.
EPA's guide for buyers and sellers says any real estate radon test should include steps to prevent or detect interference, and it describes three acceptable short-term methods, including two tests at the same time and a continuous monitor. If the average result is 4 pCi/L or more, EPA recommends fixing the home.
Disclosure
Pennsylvania's seller disclosure law requires a seller to disclose known material defects and the presence of hazardous substances, and the State Real Estate Commission's disclosure form names radon specifically and asks whether the property has been tested. Sellers are not required to test. According to the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors, its seller disclosure form asks sellers to reveal any radon tests they know of, even when the results were within acceptable limits. A seller who has a mitigation system should say so and share the most recent test.
If the House Tests High
Most homes are fixed with an active sub-slab depressurization system, a vent pipe and a fan that draw radon from beneath the foundation and vent it above the roof. EPA does not recommend sealing cracks alone. The Department of Environmental Protection says installation should take less than a day and that permanent systems typically cost between $800 and $1,200, a statewide figure. EPA's current consumer guidance gives no dollar range, saying only that most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs.
After a system is installed, it should be retested no sooner than 24 hours and no later than 30 days after it starts running, with a test of at least 48 hours. The Department recommends retesting every two years after that. In a sale, buyer and seller can negotiate either a price credit or installation by a certified mitigator before closing, with a passing retest as the condition.
Radon in Well Water
Homes on private wells can also have radon in the water, which is released into the air when water is used. The Department's rule of thumb is that 10,000 pCi/L in water adds about 1 pCi/L to the air. A water test costs about $25 to $50. There is no federal or Pennsylvania standard for radon in drinking water. EPA proposed one in 1999 and never adopted it.
New Construction
Pennsylvania's statewide building code does not require radon-resistant construction in new homes, though a municipality may adopt that part of the code on its own. The Department of Environmental Protection recommends testing a new home shortly after moving in.
Sources
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Health Risk of Radon (updated June 24, 2026), Assessment of Risks from Radon in Homes (EPA 402-R-03-003), and Map of Radon Zones, Pennsylvania
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide to Radon (EPA 402/K-24/001, revised March 2024), and How Much Can a Radon Mitigation System Cost (updated September 16, 2026)
- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Radon Division, Radon in the Home, Radon-Resistant New Construction, and the January 12, 2026 Radon Action Month release
- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Radon Test Data by Zip Code (report data January 1990 through December 2025), retrieved September 23, 2026
- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Radon in Water fact sheet (revised March 2025)
- Radon Certification Act of 1987, and 25 Pa. Code Chapter 240, sections 240.2, 240.101, 240.111, 240.303 and 240.310
- Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law, 68 Pa.C.S. sections 7304 and 7308, and 49 Pa. Code section 35.335a
- Pennsylvania Association of Realtors, Take Action During National Radon Action Month (January 8, 2025)
- 34 Pa. Code section 403.21, Uniform Construction Code
Talk to a Local Broker Who Knows This Market
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