Morgan County, IL Insulation Payback
Morgan County, IL: what topping up your attic actually costs
Morgan County, Illinois is zone 5 under DOE's climate map (Cold), which means cold enough that heating, not cooling, is what decides the bill. 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 2.1 years at an estimated $1,645/year saved. That's about as fast as attic paybacks get.
Where the savings come from
The estimated savings split roughly $1,473/year heating, $172/year cooling. Out of every 100 US counties tracked here, Morgan County's savings potential beats roughly 63 of them. Within zone 5 specifically, it ranks 580th of 745 counties by estimated savings. Illinois averages $1,642/year across the counties tracked here; Morgan County comes in 0% higher.
Where these numbers come from
Morgan County's climate figures — 5,510 heating and 1,068 cooling degree days a year — are read from JACKSONVILLE 2E, IL US, 1.2 miles away, NOAA's nearest 1991-2020 normals station. By total degree days, Morgan County sits at the 63th percentile nationally. Morgan County falls in DOE's moisture regime A (humid), a detail that affects vapor-barrier recommendations more than the R-value target itself.
If the attic isn't bare
If Morgan 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 $240/year — payback about 9.5 years. This one is a genuine toss-up, not a clear yes.
Getting it done in Morgan County
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 Morgan 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.