Medina County, TX Insulation Payback
Attic insulation payback for Medina County, TX
Medina 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 $866 a year — payback in roughly 3.3 years. Worth doing on the numbers alone.
Heating vs. cooling in Medina County
Of that, about $372/year comes from reduced heating and $494/year from reduced cooling load through the ceiling. Medina County beats 7% of the counties in this 3,162-county dataset on estimated insulation savings. Among the 233 counties DOE places in zone 2, Medina County ranks 93rd. Against Texas's own average of $1,035/year, Medina County runs 16% below that.
The climate data behind this
Medina County's climate figures — 1,402 heating and 3,102 cooling degree days a year — are read from HONDO, TX US, 2 miles away, NOAA's nearest 1991-2020 normals station. Combined heating and cooling load puts Medina County in the 11th percentile of this 3,162-county dataset. DOE also classifies Medina County as moisture regime B (dry) - ask a local contractor whether that changes the vapor-barrier approach for this job.
If the attic isn't bare
If Medina 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 $117/year — payback about 13.9 years. It is close - the payback only just fits a reasonable timeframe.
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 $2,820 as a starting estimate for a Medina County job, not a quote. Expect at least a $600 minimum charge from most contractors.
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.