Crockett County, TX Insulation Payback
Crockett County attic insulation, by the numbers
DOE classifies Crockett County as climate zone 3, hot-dry — intense summer heat with low humidity, where attic radiant heat gain is the main driver. 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 2.7 years at an estimated $1,037/year saved. Topping up the attic pays for itself fast here.
Heating vs. cooling in Crockett County
Split it out and it's roughly $659 a year on the heating side, $377 on cooling. By estimated insulation savings, Crockett County lands in the 19th percentile nationally. Zone 3 alone covers 690 counties in this dataset, and Crockett County comes in 394th by savings. Texas averages $1,035/year across the counties tracked here; Crockett County comes in 0% higher.
The climate data behind this
The heating and cooling degree days behind this estimate — 2,485 HDD and 2,367 CDD (base 65°F, 1991-2020 normals) — come from OZONA, TX US, the nearest NOAA station with published normals, 11.8 miles from Crockett County's center. By total degree days, Crockett County sits at the 21th percentile nationally. One local detail the R-value alone won't tell you: Crockett County sits in moisture regime B (dry), which can affect the vapor-barrier choice.
The smaller top-up scenario
If Crockett 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 $140/year — payback about 11.6 years. Call this borderline rather than a clear win.
Next steps for a Crockett 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 Crockett County's estimated $1,037/year on the line.
Where these figures come from
Crockett 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.