Coke County, TX Insulation Payback
Is attic insulation worth it in Coke County, TX?
DOE classifies Coke County as climate zone 3, hot-dry — scorching, dry summers where heat radiating straight through the roof does most of the damage. 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 2.6 years at an estimated $1,089/year saved. Few home upgrades pay back that quickly.
The breakdown behind the number
Heating accounts for about $699/year of that and cooling about $390/year — Coke County needs both. Nationally, Coke County ranks in the 24th percentile for insulation savings potential. Compared only against its own climate zone, Coke County places 263rd out of 690. Against Texas's own average of $1,035/year, Coke County runs 5% above that.
The climate data behind this
NOAA's ROBERT LEE 4WSW, TX US station, 5.9 miles from Coke County, supplies the 2,635 HDD and 2,445 CDD this estimate runs on. Combined heating and cooling load puts Coke County in the 28th percentile of this 3,162-county dataset. Its moisture regime is classified dry, which matters for whether the attic needs a vapor retarder as part of the job — worth asking a contractor about locally.
Already have some insulation?
Already have a few inches up there? Topping R-11 up to R-38 runs about $1,620 for about $147/year saved — roughly 11 years to break even. Whether that is worth it depends on how long you plan to stay.
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 Coke County's estimated $1,089/year on the line.
Coke County's numbers, sourced
The methodology guide lists exactly which DOE and NOAA sources feed Coke County's numbers, and where the cost assumptions come from. See the DIY vs. contractor guide for whether a job this size is realistic to do yourself.