Hemphill County, TX Insulation Payback
Hemphill County, TX: what topping up your attic actually costs
Hemphill County sits in IECC climate zone 3 (Hot-Dry) — desert-dry heat for much of the year, with the attic taking the brunt of it. For a currently uninsulated attic, DOE and ENERGY STAR recommend building up to R-49. Going from R-2 to the recommended R-49 costs roughly $2,820 installed for a typical attic (about 1,000 sq ft), and pays for itself in about 2 years at an estimated $1,392/year saved. That's about as fast as attic paybacks get.
The breakdown behind the number
The estimated savings split roughly $1,148/year heating, $244/year cooling. Out of every 100 US counties tracked here, Hemphill County's savings potential beats roughly 45 of them. Within zone 3 specifically, it ranks 8th of 690 counties by estimated savings. Texas averages $1,035/year across the counties tracked here; Hemphill County comes in 34% higher.
Hemphill County's actual weather, not a national average
The heating and cooling degree days behind this estimate — 4,327 HDD and 1,529 CDD (base 65°F, 1991-2020 normals) — come from MIAMI, TX US, the nearest NOAA station with published normals, 21.9 miles from Hemphill County's center. That combined heating-and-cooling load ranks Hemphill County 1626th nationally by total degree days — the 49th percentile. Hemphill County falls in DOE's moisture regime B (dry), a detail that affects vapor-barrier recommendations more than the R-value target itself.
The smaller top-up scenario
If Hemphill County's attic already has 3-4 inches of old insulation (about R-11) rather than bare joists, the recommended target drops to R-38. That smaller top-up costs around $1,620 and saves an estimated $187/year — payback about 8.6 years. This one is a genuine toss-up, not a clear yes.
Quotes and materials for this job
Real bids depend on how easy the attic is to reach and whether old insulation needs removing first, so treat $2,820 as a starting estimate for a Hemphill County job, not a quote. Expect at least a $600 minimum charge from most contractors.
Nothing here is a guess
Every figure on this page traces to DOE/IECC climate zones and NOAA degree-day normals, documented in the methodology guide. The guide to what R-value actually means explains why R-49 is the target here specifically.