Jefferson County, TX Insulation Payback
Attic insulation payback for Jefferson County, TX
Jefferson County, Texas is zone 2 under DOE's climate map (Hot-Humid), which means humid heat for much of the year, with cooling running far more than heating ever does. An uninsulated attic there should be built up to 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 $825 a year — payback in roughly 3.4 years. Worth doing on the numbers alone.
The breakdown behind the number
Of that, about $335/year comes from reduced heating and $490/year from reduced cooling load through the ceiling. Jefferson County beats 5% of the counties in this 3,162-county dataset on estimated insulation savings. Among the 233 counties DOE places in zone 2, Jefferson County ranks 143rd. Against Texas's own average of $1,035/year, Jefferson County runs 20% below that.
Jefferson County's actual weather, not a national average
The heating and cooling degree days behind this estimate — 1,262 HDD and 3,076 CDD (base 65°F, 1991-2020 normals) — come from PORT ARTHUR SE TX AP, TX US, the nearest NOAA station with published normals, 10.2 miles from Jefferson County's center. Combined heating and cooling load puts Jefferson County in the 7th percentile of this 3,162-county dataset. DOE also classifies Jefferson County as moisture regime A (humid) - ask a local contractor whether that changes the vapor-barrier approach for this job.
Already have some insulation?
Already have a few inches up there? Topping R-11 up to R-38 runs about $1,620 for about $111/year saved — roughly 14.6 years to break even. It is close - the payback only just fits a reasonable timeframe.
Quotes and materials for this job
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 Jefferson County's estimated $825/year on the line.
More on how this was built
Nothing here is a guess: the methodology guide names the DOE climate map and NOAA station data behind every number on this page. See the DIY vs. contractor guide for whether a job this size is realistic to do yourself.