Fulton County, IN Insulation Payback
Fulton County attic insulation, by the numbers
DOE classifies Fulton County as climate zone 5, cold — cold enough that heating, not cooling, is what decides the bill. Its recommended attic R-value for bare joists is R-60. Topping up a typical 1,000-square-foot attic from bare joists (R-2) to R-60 runs an estimated $3,480, and saves about $1,780 a year in heating and cooling — a payback around 2 years. Topping up the attic pays for itself fast here.
The breakdown behind the number
Split it out and it's roughly $1,649 a year on the heating side, $131 on cooling. By estimated insulation savings, Fulton County lands in the 71th percentile nationally. Zone 5 alone covers 745 counties in this dataset, and Fulton County comes in 335th by savings. Indiana averages $1,634/year across the counties tracked here; Fulton County comes in 9% higher.
Fulton County's actual weather, not a national average
The heating and cooling degree days behind this estimate — 6,168 HDD and 814 CDD (base 65°F, 1991-2020 normals) — come from ROCHESTER, IN US, the nearest NOAA station with published normals, 3.1 miles from Fulton County's center. Combined heating and cooling load puts Fulton County in the 71th percentile of this 3,162-county dataset. 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.
Already have some insulation?
Already have a few inches up there? Topping R-11 up to R-49 runs about $2,280 for about $260/year saved — roughly 8.8 years to break even. Call this borderline rather than a clear win.
Next steps for a Fulton County attic
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 Fulton County, not a bid - contractors typically charge a $600 minimum regardless of job size.
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.