Effingham County, IL Insulation Payback
Is attic insulation worth it in Effingham County, IL?
Effingham County sits in IECC climate zone 4 (Mixed-Humid) — heating load in winter and cooling load in summer, both worth taking seriously here. For a currently uninsulated attic, DOE and ENERGY STAR recommend building 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 2.2 years at an estimated $1,579/year saved. Few home upgrades pay back that quickly.
Where the savings come from
Heating accounts for about $1,371/year of that and cooling about $208/year — Effingham County needs both. Nationally, Effingham County ranks in the 58th percentile for insulation savings potential. Compared only against its own climate zone, Effingham County places 71st out of 825. Against Illinois's own average of $1,642/year, Effingham County runs 4% below that.
Effingham County's actual weather, not a national average
Effingham County's climate figures — 5,126 heating and 1,298 cooling degree days a year — are read from EFFINGHAM 3SW, IL US, 5.1 miles away, NOAA's nearest 1991-2020 normals station. That combined heating-and-cooling load ranks Effingham County 1256th nationally by total degree days — the 60th percentile. Its moisture regime is classified humid, 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-49 runs about $2,280 for about $230/year saved — roughly 9.9 years to break even. Whether that is worth it depends on how long you plan to stay.
Next steps for a Effingham 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 Effingham County's estimated $1,579/year on the line.
Effingham County's numbers, sourced
The methodology guide lists exactly which DOE and NOAA sources feed Effingham 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.