Andrew County, MO Insulation Payback
Andrew County, MO: what topping up your attic actually costs
Andrew County, Missouri is zone 5 under DOE's climate map (Cold), which means cold enough that heating, not cooling, is what decides the bill. An uninsulated attic there should be built up to R-60. Going from R-2 to the recommended R-60 costs roughly $3,480 installed for a typical attic (about 1,000 sq ft), and pays for itself in about 2 years at an estimated $1,716/year saved. That's about as fast as attic paybacks get.
The breakdown behind the number
The estimated savings split roughly $1,529/year heating, $187/year cooling. Out of every 100 US counties tracked here, Andrew County's savings potential beats roughly 67 of them. Within zone 5 specifically, it ranks 454th of 745 counties by estimated savings. Missouri averages $1,534/year across the counties tracked here; Andrew County comes in 12% higher.
Andrew County's actual weather, not a national average
Andrew County's climate figures — 5,718 heating and 1,167 cooling degree days a year — are read from COSBY 2W, MO US, 10.6 miles away, NOAA's nearest 1991-2020 normals station. By total degree days, Andrew County sits at the 69th percentile nationally. Andrew County falls in DOE's moisture regime A (humid), a detail that affects vapor-barrier recommendations more than the R-value target itself.
If the attic isn't bare
A shallower starting point changes the math: with R-11 already down, only the gap to R-49 needs filling, at roughly $2,280 for an estimated $250/year saved (~9.1-year payback). This one is a genuine toss-up, not a clear yes.
Quotes and materials for this job
Real bids depend on how easy the attic is to reach and whether old insulation needs removing first, so treat $3,480 as a starting estimate for a Andrew County job, not a quote. Expect at least a $600 minimum charge from most contractors.
Nothing here is a guess
Every figure on this page traces to DOE/IECC climate zones and NOAA degree-day normals, documented in the methodology guide. The guide to what R-value actually means explains why R-60 is the target here specifically.