Jefferson Davis Parish, LA Insulation Payback
Attic insulation payback for Jefferson Davis Parish, LA
Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana is zone 2 under DOE's climate map (Hot-Humid), which means summers that stay hot and humid while winters barely register on the energy bill. An uninsulated attic there should be built 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 3.3 years at an estimated $854/year saved. Worth doing on the numbers alone.
Heating vs. cooling in Jefferson Davis Parish
Of that, about $429/year comes from reduced heating and $425/year from reduced cooling load through the ceiling. Jefferson Davis Parish beats 7% of the counties in this 3,162-county dataset on estimated insulation savings. Among the 233 counties DOE places in zone 2, Jefferson Davis Parish ranks 108th. Against Louisiana's own average of $906/year, Jefferson Davis Parish runs 6% below that.
Jefferson Davis Parish's actual weather, not a national average
The heating and cooling degree days behind this estimate — 1,618 HDD and 2,667 CDD (base 65°F, 1991-2020 normals) — come from JENNINGS, LA US, the nearest NOAA station with published normals, 10.3 miles from Jefferson Davis Parish's center. By total degree days, Jefferson Davis Parish sits at the 6th percentile nationally. DOE also classifies Jefferson Davis Parish as moisture regime A (humid) - ask a local contractor whether that changes the vapor-barrier approach for this job.
Already have some insulation?
If Jefferson Davis Parish's attic already has 3-4 inches of old insulation (about R-11) rather than bare joists, the recommended target drops to R-38. That smaller top-up costs around $1,620 and saves an estimated $115/year — payback about 14.1 years. 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 Davis Parish's estimated $854/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.