Campbell County, WY Insulation Payback
Attic insulation payback for Campbell County, WY
DOE classifies Campbell County as climate zone 6, cold — winters that dominate the energy bill, with cooling a minor factor. 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 1.7 years at an estimated $2,006/year saved. Hard to find a home improvement with a faster payback than this.
The breakdown behind the number
Of that, about $1,914/year comes from reduced heating and $92/year from reduced cooling load through the ceiling. Campbell County beats 82% of the counties in this 3,162-county dataset on estimated insulation savings. Among the 459 counties DOE places in zone 6, Campbell County ranks 390th. Against Wyoming's own average of $2,161/year, Campbell County runs 7% below that.
Where these numbers come from
NOAA's GILLETTE 4SE, WY US station, 6.6 miles from Campbell County, supplies the 7,158 HDD and 571 CDD this estimate runs on. That combined heating-and-cooling load ranks Campbell County 554th nationally by total degree days — the 83th percentile. DOE also classifies Campbell 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
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 $293/year saved (~7.8-year payback). 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 Campbell County's estimated $2,006/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.