Cloud County, KS Insulation Payback
Cloud County, KS: what topping up your attic actually costs
DOE classifies Cloud County as climate zone 5, cold — winters that dominate the energy bill, with cooling a minor factor. Its recommended attic R-value for bare joists is R-60. For an attic around 1,000 square feet, closing the gap from R-2 to R-60 costs around $3,480 and saves an estimated $1,641 a year — payback in roughly 2.1 years. That's about as fast as attic paybacks get.
Heating vs. cooling in Cloud County
The estimated savings split roughly $1,421/year heating, $221/year cooling. Out of every 100 US counties tracked here, Cloud County's savings potential beats roughly 62 of them. Within zone 5 specifically, it ranks 588th of 745 counties by estimated savings. Kansas averages $1,594/year across the counties tracked here; Cloud County comes in 3% higher.
Cloud County's actual weather, not a national average
The heating and cooling degree days behind this estimate — 5,314 HDD and 1,373 CDD (base 65°F, 1991-2020 normals) — come from CONCORDIA MUNI AP, KS US, the nearest NOAA station with published normals, 4.5 miles from Cloud County's center. By total degree days, Cloud County sits at the 66th percentile nationally. Cloud 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
If Cloud County's attic already has 3-4 inches of old insulation (about R-11) rather than bare joists, the recommended target drops to R-49. That smaller top-up costs around $2,280 and saves an estimated $239/year — payback about 9.5 years. This one is a genuine toss-up, not a clear yes.
Getting it done in Cloud County
Real bids depend on how easy the attic is to reach and whether old insulation needs removing first, so treat $3,480 as a starting estimate for a Cloud County job, not a quote. Expect at least a $600 minimum charge from most contractors.
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.