Kane County, UT Insulation Payback
Attic insulation payback for Kane County, UT
Kane County, Utah is zone 5 under DOE's climate map (Cold), which means a real winter that drives most of the annual energy bill here. An uninsulated attic there should be built up to R-60. Going from R-2 to the recommended R-60 costs roughly $3,480 installed for a typical attic (about 1,000 sq ft), and pays for itself in about 2.4 years at an estimated $1,475/year saved.
Hard to find a home improvement with a faster payback than this.
Heating vs. cooling in Kane County
Of that, about $1,242/year comes from reduced heating and $233/year from reduced cooling load through the ceiling. Kane County beats 51% of the counties in this 3,171-county dataset on estimated insulation savings. Among the 754 counties DOE places in zone 5, Kane County ranks 741st. Against Utah's own average of $1,791/year, Kane County runs 18% below that.
Where these numbers come from
NOAA's Paria RS, UT US station, 12.7 miles from Kane County, supplies the 4,645 HDD and 1,449 CDD this estimate runs on. That combined heating-and-cooling load ranks Kane County 1473rd nationally by total degree days — the 54th percentile. DOE also classifies Kane County as moisture regime B (dry) - ask a local contractor whether that changes the vapor-barrier approach for this job.
Already have some insulation?
A shallower starting point changes the math: with R-11 already down, only the gap to R-49 needs filling, at roughly $2,280 for an estimated $215/year saved (~10.6-year payback). It is close - the payback only just fits a reasonable timeframe.
Getting it done in Kane County
Get quotes from at least two local contractors 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 checking upfront given Kane County's estimated $1,475/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.