Jackson County, TX Insulation Payback
Jackson County attic insulation, by the numbers
Jackson County sits in IECC climate zone 2 (Hot-Humid) — long, muggy summers and mild winters, where cooling dominates the energy bill. 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 3.5 years at an estimated $806/year saved. Topping up the attic pays for itself here.
The breakdown behind the number
Split it out and it's roughly $274 a year on the heating side, $532 on cooling. By estimated insulation savings, Jackson County lands in the 4th percentile nationally. Zone 2 alone covers 233 counties in this dataset, and Jackson County comes in 169th by savings. Texas averages $1,035/year across the counties tracked here; Jackson County comes in 22% lower.
The climate data behind this
NOAA's PT COMFORT, TX US station, 21 miles from Jackson County, supplies the 1,032 HDD and 3,341 CDD this estimate runs on. Combined heating and cooling load puts Jackson County in the 8th percentile of this 3,162-county dataset. One local detail the R-value alone won't tell you: Jackson County sits in moisture regime A (humid), 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 $109/year saved (~14.9-year payback). Call this borderline rather than a clear win.
Next steps for a Jackson 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 Jackson County's estimated $806/year on the line.
Where these figures come from
Jackson 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.