Blaine County, OK Insulation Payback
Blaine County attic insulation, by the numbers
DOE classifies Blaine County as climate zone 3, mixed-humid — a genuine mix of cold winters and humid summers, with neither one dominating the bill. Its recommended attic R-value for bare joists is R-49. Going from R-2 to the recommended R-49 costs roughly $2,820 installed for a typical attic (about 1,000 sq ft), and pays for itself in about 2.1 years at an estimated $1,375/year saved. Topping up the attic pays for itself fast here.
Heating vs. cooling in Blaine County
Split it out and it's roughly $1,078 a year on the heating side, $297 on cooling. By estimated insulation savings, Blaine County lands in the 44th percentile nationally. Zone 3 alone covers 690 counties in this dataset, and Blaine County comes in 11th by savings. Oklahoma averages $1,260/year across the counties tracked here; Blaine County comes in 9% higher.
Where these numbers come from
NOAA's WATONGA, OK US station, 1.6 miles from Blaine County, supplies the 4,064 HDD and 1,863 CDD this estimate runs on. That combined heating-and-cooling load ranks Blaine County 1582nd nationally by total degree days — the 50th percentile. One local detail the R-value alone won't tell you: Blaine County sits in moisture regime A (humid), which can affect the vapor-barrier choice.
The smaller top-up scenario
If Blaine County's attic already has 3-4 inches of old insulation (about R-11) rather than bare joists, the recommended target drops to R-38. That smaller top-up costs around $1,620 and saves an estimated $185/year — payback about 8.7 years. Call this borderline rather than a clear win.
Next steps for a Blaine County attic
Actual quotes will vary by attic access, existing debris, and whether the job needs air sealing first. Treat the $2,820 figure above as a planning number for Blaine County, not a bid - contractors typically charge a $600 minimum regardless of job size.
Where these figures come from
Blaine County's R-49 target and its degree-day figures both come from named federal sources - see the methodology guide for exactly which ones. The guide to what R-value actually means explains why R-49 is the target here specifically.