Martin County, TX Insulation Payback
Martin County attic insulation, by the numbers
DOE classifies Martin County as climate zone 3, hot-dry — desert-dry heat for much of the year, with the attic taking the brunt of it. Its recommended attic R-value for bare joists is R-49. Topping up a typical 1,000-square-foot attic from bare joists (R-2) to R-49 runs an estimated $2,820, and saves about $1,009 a year in heating and cooling — a payback around 2.8 years. Topping up the attic pays for itself fast here.
Heating vs. cooling in Martin County
Split it out and it's roughly $626 a year on the heating side, $383 on cooling. By estimated insulation savings, Martin County lands in the 17th percentile nationally. Zone 3 alone covers 690 counties in this dataset, and Martin County comes in 452nd by savings. Texas averages $1,035/year across the counties tracked here; Martin County comes in 3% lower.
The climate data behind this
NOAA's MIDLAND 4 ENE, TX US station, 20.5 miles from Martin County, supplies the 2,361 HDD and 2,402 CDD this estimate runs on. By total degree days, Martin County sits at the 19th percentile nationally. One local detail the R-value alone won't tell you: Martin County sits in moisture regime B (dry), which can affect the vapor-barrier choice.
Already have some insulation?
If Martin County'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 $136/year — payback about 11.9 years. Call this borderline rather than a clear win.
Quotes and materials for this job
Actual quotes will vary by attic access, existing debris, and whether the job needs air sealing first. Treat the $2,820 figure above as a planning number for Martin County, not a bid - contractors typically charge a $600 minimum regardless of job size.
Where these figures come from
Martin 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.