Logan County, KS Insulation Payback
Logan County, KS: what topping up your attic actually costs
Logan County, Kansas 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. Topping up a typical 1,000-square-foot attic from bare joists (R-2) to R-60 runs an estimated $3,480, and saves about $1,708 a year in heating and cooling — a payback around 2 years. That's about as fast as attic paybacks get.
Where the savings come from
The estimated savings split roughly $1,517/year heating, $191/year cooling. Out of every 100 US counties tracked here, Logan County's savings potential beats roughly 66 of them. Within zone 5 specifically, it ranks 472nd of 745 counties by estimated savings. Kansas averages $1,594/year across the counties tracked here; Logan County comes in 7% higher.
The climate data behind this
Logan County's climate figures — 5,673 heating and 1,187 cooling degree days a year — are read from RUSSELL SPRINGS 3N, KS US, 3.4 miles away, NOAA's nearest 1991-2020 normals station. By total degree days, Logan County sits at the 68th percentile nationally. Logan County falls in DOE's moisture regime A (humid), a detail that affects vapor-barrier recommendations more than the R-value target itself.
Already have some insulation?
If Logan County's attic already has 3-4 inches of old insulation (about R-11) rather than bare joists, the recommended target drops to R-49. That smaller top-up costs around $2,280 and saves an estimated $249/year — payback about 9.2 years. This one is a genuine toss-up, not a clear yes.
Quotes and materials for this job
Real bids depend on how easy the attic is to reach and whether old insulation needs removing first, so treat $3,480 as a starting estimate for a Logan County job, not a quote. Expect at least a $600 minimum charge from most contractors.
Nothing here is a guess
Every figure on this page traces to DOE/IECC climate zones and NOAA degree-day normals, documented in the methodology guide. The guide to what R-value actually means explains why R-60 is the target here specifically.