Brown County, IN Insulation Payback
Brown County, IN: what topping up your attic actually costs
DOE classifies Brown County as climate zone 4, mixed-humid — real heating and real cooling seasons both, roughly balanced across the year. 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 2.2 years at an estimated $1,584/year saved. That's about as fast as attic paybacks get.
Heating vs. cooling in Brown County
The estimated savings split roughly $1,412/year heating, $172/year cooling. Out of every 100 US counties tracked here, Brown County's savings potential beats roughly 59 of them. Within zone 4 specifically, it ranks 64th of 825 counties by estimated savings. Indiana averages $1,634/year across the counties tracked here; Brown County comes in 3% lower.
The climate data behind this
NOAA's BLOOMINGTON INDIANA UNIV, IN US station, 15.7 miles from Brown County, supplies the 5,281 HDD and 1,069 CDD this estimate runs on. By total degree days, Brown County sits at the 59th percentile nationally. Brown 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
Already have a few inches up there? Topping R-11 up to R-49 runs about $2,280 for about $231/year saved — roughly 9.9 years to break even. This one is a genuine toss-up, not a clear yes.
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 Brown County's estimated $1,584/year on the line.
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.