Blaine County, ID Insulation Payback
Attic insulation payback for Blaine County, ID
DOE classifies Blaine County as climate zone 6, cold — a real winter that drives most of the annual energy bill here. Its recommended attic R-value for bare joists is 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 1.5 years at an estimated $2,270/year saved. Hard to find a home improvement with a faster payback than this.
Heating vs. cooling in Blaine County
Of that, about $2,241/year comes from reduced heating and $30/year from reduced cooling load through the ceiling. Blaine County beats 92% of the counties in this 3,162-county dataset on estimated insulation savings. Among the 459 counties DOE places in zone 6, Blaine County ranks 117th. Against Idaho's own average of $1,995/year, Blaine County runs 14% above that.
Where these numbers come from
The heating and cooling degree days behind this estimate — 8,380 HDD and 185 CDD (base 65°F, 1991-2020 normals) — come from PICABO, ID US, the nearest NOAA station with published normals, 8.1 miles from Blaine County's center. By total degree days, Blaine County sits at the 91th percentile nationally. DOE also classifies Blaine County as moisture regime B (dry) - ask a local contractor whether that changes the vapor-barrier approach for this job.
The smaller top-up scenario
Already have a few inches up there? Topping R-11 up to R-49 runs about $2,280 for about $331/year saved — roughly 6.9 years to break even. Topping up the attic pays for itself here.
Quotes and materials for this job
Get more than one quote before committing. Attic access and any needed air sealing move the price around, and most contractors won't take a job below roughly $600 regardless of size - worth asking upfront given Blaine County's estimated $2,270/year on the line.
More on how this was built
Nothing here is a guess: the methodology guide names the DOE climate map and NOAA station data behind every number on this page. See the DIY vs. contractor guide for whether a job this size is realistic to do yourself.