Hodgeman County, KS Insulation Payback
Hodgeman County attic insulation, by the numbers
DOE classifies Hodgeman County as climate zone 4, mixed-humid — real heating and real cooling seasons both, roughly balanced across the year. 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 $1,618 a year — payback in roughly 2.2 years. Topping up the attic pays for itself fast here.
Where the savings come from
Split it out and it's roughly $1,388 a year on the heating side, $230 on cooling. By estimated insulation savings, Hodgeman County lands in the 61th percentile nationally. Zone 4 alone covers 825 counties in this dataset, and Hodgeman County comes in 35th by savings. Kansas averages $1,594/year across the counties tracked here; Hodgeman County comes in 2% higher.
Hodgeman County's actual weather, not a national average
The heating and cooling degree days behind this estimate — 5,190 HDD and 1,435 CDD (base 65°F, 1991-2020 normals) — come from JETMORE 8NNW, KS US, the nearest NOAA station with published normals, 7.6 miles from Hodgeman County's center. Combined heating and cooling load puts Hodgeman County in the 64th percentile of this 3,162-county dataset. One local detail the R-value alone won't tell you: Hodgeman County sits in moisture regime A (humid), which can affect the vapor-barrier choice.
The smaller top-up scenario
If Hodgeman County's attic already has 3-4 inches of old insulation (about R-11) rather than bare joists, the recommended target drops to R-49. That smaller top-up costs around $2,280 and saves an estimated $236/year — payback about 9.7 years. Call this borderline rather than a clear win.
Getting it done in Hodgeman 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 Hodgeman County, not a bid - contractors typically charge a $600 minimum regardless of job size.
Where these figures come from
Hodgeman 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.