Fulton County, AR Insulation Payback
Fulton County attic insulation, by the numbers
DOE classifies Fulton County as climate zone 4, mixed-humid — a genuine mix of cold winters and humid summers, with neither one dominating the bill. Its recommended attic R-value for bare joists is R-60. For an attic around 1,000 square feet, closing the gap from R-2 to R-60 costs around $3,480 and saves an estimated $1,356 a year — payback in roughly 2.6 years. Topping up the attic pays for itself fast here.
The breakdown behind the number
Split it out and it's roughly $1,118 a year on the heating side, $238 on cooling. By estimated insulation savings, Fulton County lands in the 43th percentile nationally. Zone 4 alone covers 825 counties in this dataset, and Fulton County comes in 473rd by savings. Arkansas averages $1,185/year across the counties tracked here; Fulton County comes in 14% higher.
The climate data behind this
The heating and cooling degree days behind this estimate — 4,182 HDD and 1,480 CDD (base 65°F, 1991-2020 normals) — come from SALEM, AR US, the nearest NOAA station with published normals, 1.9 miles from Fulton County's center. By total degree days, Fulton County sits at the 44th percentile nationally. One local detail the R-value alone won't tell you: Fulton County sits in moisture regime A (humid), which can affect the vapor-barrier choice.
The smaller top-up scenario
A shallower starting point changes the math: with R-11 already down, only the gap to R-49 needs filling, at roughly $2,280 for an estimated $198/year saved (~11.5-year payback). Call this borderline rather than a clear win.
Getting it done in Fulton County
Real bids depend on how easy the attic is to reach and whether old insulation needs removing first, so treat $3,480 as a starting estimate for a Fulton County job, not a quote. Expect at least a $600 minimum charge from most contractors.
Where these figures come from
Fulton County's R-60 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-60 is the target here specifically.