Morgan County, KY Insulation Payback
Attic insulation payback for Morgan County, KY
DOE classifies Morgan County as climate zone 4, mixed-humid — real heating and real cooling seasons both, roughly balanced across the year. Its recommended attic R-value for bare joists is 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 $1,459 a year in heating and cooling — a payback around 2.4 years. Hard to find a home improvement with a faster payback than this.
The breakdown behind the number
Of that, about $1,308/year comes from reduced heating and $151/year from reduced cooling load through the ceiling. Morgan County beats 50% of the counties in this 3,162-county dataset on estimated insulation savings. Among the 825 counties DOE places in zone 4, Morgan County ranks 263rd. Against Kentucky's own average of $1,385/year, Morgan County runs 5% above that.
The climate data behind this
Morgan County's climate figures — 4,891 heating and 942 cooling degree days a year — are read from W LIBERTY 3NW, KY US, 2.7 miles away, NOAA's nearest 1991-2020 normals station. Combined heating and cooling load puts Morgan County in the 48th percentile of this 3,162-county dataset. DOE also classifies Morgan County as moisture regime A (humid) - ask a local contractor whether that changes the vapor-barrier approach for this job.
The smaller top-up scenario
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 $213/year saved (~10.7-year payback). It is close - the payback only just fits a reasonable timeframe.
Next steps for a Morgan County attic
Actual quotes will vary by attic access, existing debris, and whether the job needs air sealing first. Treat the $3,480 figure above as a planning number for Morgan County, not a bid - contractors typically charge a $600 minimum regardless of job size.
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.