Harrison County, IA Insulation Payback
Attic insulation payback for Harrison County, IA
Harrison County sits in IECC climate zone 5 (Cold) — a real winter that drives most of the annual energy bill here. For a currently uninsulated attic, DOE and ENERGY STAR recommend building up to 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 $1,942 a year — payback in roughly 1.8 years. Hard to find a home improvement with a faster payback than this.
Heating vs. cooling in Harrison County
Of that, about $1,792/year comes from reduced heating and $150/year from reduced cooling load through the ceiling. Harrison County beats 79% of the counties in this 3,162-county dataset on estimated insulation savings. Among the 745 counties DOE places in zone 5, Harrison County ranks 102nd. Against Iowa's own average of $1,985/year, Harrison County runs 2% below that.
Where these numbers come from
Harrison County's climate figures — 6,702 heating and 935 cooling degree days a year — are read from LOGAN, IA US, 4 miles away, NOAA's nearest 1991-2020 normals station. By total degree days, Harrison County sits at the 81th percentile nationally. DOE also classifies Harrison County as moisture regime A (humid) - ask a local contractor whether that changes the vapor-barrier approach for this job.
If the attic isn't bare
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 $283/year saved (~8-year payback). It is close - the payback only just fits a reasonable timeframe.
Quotes and materials for this job
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 Harrison County's estimated $1,942/year on the line.
More on how this was built
Nothing here is a guess: the methodology guide names the DOE climate map and NOAA station data behind every number on this page. See the DIY vs. contractor guide for whether a job this size is realistic to do yourself.