Cooke County, TX Insulation Payback
Cooke County, TX: what topping up your attic actually costs
Cooke County, Texas is zone 3 under DOE's climate map (Mixed-Humid), which means a genuine mix of cold winters and humid summers, with neither one dominating the bill. 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 2.5 years at an estimated $1,126/year saved. That's about as fast as attic paybacks get.
Heating vs. cooling in Cooke County
The estimated savings split roughly $766/year heating, $360/year cooling. Out of every 100 US counties tracked here, Cooke County's savings potential beats roughly 26 of them. Within zone 3 specifically, it ranks 198th of 690 counties by estimated savings. Texas averages $1,035/year across the counties tracked here; Cooke County comes in 9% higher.
Where these numbers come from
NOAA's GAINESVILLE 5 ENE, TX US station, 8.7 miles from Cooke County, supplies the 2,886 HDD and 2,259 CDD this estimate runs on. By total degree days, Cooke County sits at the 30th percentile nationally. Cooke County falls in DOE's moisture regime A (humid), a detail that affects vapor-barrier recommendations more than the R-value target itself.
Already have some insulation?
If Cooke County's attic already has 3-4 inches of old insulation (about R-11) rather than bare joists, the recommended target drops to R-38. That smaller top-up costs around $1,620 and saves an estimated $152/year — payback about 10.7 years. This one is a genuine toss-up, not a clear yes.
Next steps for a Cooke County attic
Real bids depend on how easy the attic is to reach and whether old insulation needs removing first, so treat $2,820 as a starting estimate for a Cooke 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-49 is the target here specifically.