Gray County, TX Insulation Payback
Gray County attic insulation, by the numbers
DOE classifies Gray County as climate zone 4, mixed-dry — big seasonal swings - a dry hot summer, then a real winter cold snap. 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 $1,373 a year — payback in roughly 2.5 years. Topping up the attic pays for itself fast here.
Where the savings come from
Split it out and it's roughly $1,116 a year on the heating side, $257 on cooling. By estimated insulation savings, Gray County lands in the 44th percentile nationally. Zone 4 alone covers 825 counties in this dataset, and Gray County comes in 438th by savings. Texas averages $1,035/year across the counties tracked here; Gray County comes in 33% higher.
Gray County's actual weather, not a national average
NOAA's PAMPA #2, TX US station, 13.9 miles from Gray County, supplies the 4,175 HDD and 1,600 CDD this estimate runs on. That combined heating-and-cooling load ranks Gray County 1686th nationally by total degree days — the 47th percentile. One local detail the R-value alone won't tell you: Gray County sits in moisture regime B (dry), which can affect the vapor-barrier choice.
The smaller top-up scenario
Already have a few inches up there? Topping R-11 up to R-49 runs about $2,280 for about $200/year saved — roughly 11.4 years to break even. Call this borderline rather than a clear win.
Getting it done in Gray County
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 Gray County, not a bid - contractors typically charge a $600 minimum regardless of job size.
Where these figures come from
Gray 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.