Howard County, TX Insulation Payback
Howard County attic insulation, by the numbers
DOE classifies Howard County as climate zone 3, hot-dry — intense summer heat with low humidity, where attic radiant heat gain is the main driver. Its recommended attic R-value for bare joists is 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 2.6 years at an estimated $1,078/year saved. Topping up the attic pays for itself fast here.
Heating vs. cooling in Howard County
Split it out and it's roughly $679 a year on the heating side, $400 on cooling. By estimated insulation savings, Howard County lands in the 23th percentile nationally. Zone 3 alone covers 690 counties in this dataset, and Howard County comes in 292nd by savings. Texas averages $1,035/year across the counties tracked here; Howard County comes in 4% higher.
Howard County's actual weather, not a national average
The heating and cooling degree days behind this estimate — 2,558 HDD and 2,508 CDD (base 65°F, 1991-2020 normals) — come from BIG SPRING, TX US, the nearest NOAA station with published normals, 4.2 miles from Howard County's center. Combined heating and cooling load puts Howard County in the 28th percentile of this 3,162-county dataset. One local detail the R-value alone won't tell you: Howard County sits in moisture regime B (dry), which can affect the vapor-barrier choice.
The smaller top-up scenario
A shallower starting point changes the math: with R-11 already down, only the gap to R-38 needs filling, at roughly $1,620 for an estimated $145/year saved (~11.2-year payback). Call this borderline rather than a clear win.
Next steps for a Howard County attic
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 Howard County's estimated $1,078/year on the line.
Where these figures come from
Howard County's R-49 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-49 is the target here specifically.