Daviess County, MO Insulation Payback
Daviess County, MO: what topping up your attic actually costs
Daviess County, Missouri is zone 5 under DOE's climate map (Cold), which means cold enough that heating, not cooling, is what decides the bill. An uninsulated attic there should be built up to R-60. Going from R-2 to the recommended R-60 costs roughly $3,480 installed for a typical attic (about 1,000 sq ft), and pays for itself in about 2 years at an estimated $1,739/year saved. That's about as fast as attic paybacks get.
Heating vs. cooling in Daviess County
The estimated savings split roughly $1,573/year heating, $166/year cooling. Out of every 100 US counties tracked here, Daviess County's savings potential beats roughly 68 of them. Within zone 5 specifically, it ranks 409th of 745 counties by estimated savings. Missouri averages $1,534/year across the counties tracked here; Daviess County comes in 13% higher.
Daviess County's actual weather, not a national average
The heating and cooling degree days behind this estimate — 5,883 HDD and 1,031 CDD (base 65°F, 1991-2020 normals) — come from GALLATIN 1W, MO US, the nearest NOAA station with published normals, 3.8 miles from Daviess County's center. By total degree days, Daviess County sits at the 69th percentile nationally. Daviess County falls in DOE's moisture regime A (humid), a detail that affects vapor-barrier recommendations more than the R-value target itself.
The smaller top-up scenario
If Daviess 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 $254/year — payback about 9 years. This one is a genuine toss-up, not a clear yes.
Quotes and materials for this job
Actual quotes will vary by attic access, existing debris, and whether the job needs air sealing first. Treat the $3,480 figure above as a planning number for Daviess County, not a bid - contractors typically charge a $600 minimum regardless of job size.
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.