Jefferson County, AR Insulation Payback
Jefferson County attic insulation, by the numbers
DOE classifies Jefferson County as climate zone 3, mixed-humid — real heating and real cooling seasons both, roughly balanced across the year. Its recommended attic R-value for bare joists is R-49. For an attic around 1,000 square feet, closing the gap from R-2 to R-49 costs around $2,820 and saves an estimated $1,118 a year — payback in roughly 2.5 years. Topping up the attic pays for itself fast here.
Where the savings come from
Split it out and it's roughly $763 a year on the heating side, $355 on cooling. By estimated insulation savings, Jefferson County lands in the 25th percentile nationally. Zone 3 alone covers 690 counties in this dataset, and Jefferson County comes in 214th by savings. Arkansas averages $1,185/year across the counties tracked here; Jefferson County comes in 6% lower.
Jefferson County's actual weather, not a national average
NOAA's PINE BLUFF, AR US station, 6.2 miles from Jefferson County, supplies the 2,874 HDD and 2,228 CDD this estimate runs on. By total degree days, Jefferson County sits at the 29th percentile nationally. One local detail the R-value alone won't tell you: Jefferson County sits in moisture regime A (humid), which can affect the vapor-barrier choice.
Already have some insulation?
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 $151/year saved (~10.8-year payback). Call this borderline rather than a clear win.
Next steps for a Jefferson County attic
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 Jefferson County job, not a quote. Expect at least a $600 minimum charge from most contractors.
Where these figures come from
Jefferson 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.