Cleveland County, AR Insulation Payback
Cleveland County attic insulation, by the numbers
Cleveland County, Arkansas is zone 3 under DOE's climate map (Mixed-Humid), which means real heating and real cooling seasons both, roughly balanced across the year. An uninsulated attic there should be built up to 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 2.6 years at an estimated $1,067/year saved. Topping up the attic pays for itself fast here.
Where the savings come from
Split it out and it's roughly $733 a year on the heating side, $335 on cooling. By estimated insulation savings, Cleveland County lands in the 22th percentile nationally. Zone 3 alone covers 690 counties in this dataset, and Cleveland County comes in 315th by savings. Arkansas averages $1,185/year across the counties tracked here; Cleveland County comes in 10% lower.
Where these numbers come from
The heating and cooling degree days behind this estimate — 2,762 HDD and 2,099 CDD (base 65°F, 1991-2020 normals) — come from RISON, AR US, the nearest NOAA station with published normals, 4.3 miles from Cleveland County's center. Combined heating and cooling load puts Cleveland County in the 22th percentile of this 3,162-county dataset. One local detail the R-value alone won't tell you: Cleveland County sits in moisture regime A (humid), which can affect the vapor-barrier choice.
The smaller top-up scenario
Already have a few inches up there? Topping R-11 up to R-38 runs about $1,620 for about $144/year saved — roughly 11.3 years to break even. Call this borderline rather than a clear win.
Next steps for a Cleveland County attic
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 Cleveland County's estimated $1,067/year on the line.
Where these figures come from
Cleveland 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.