Morgan County, UT Insulation Payback
Morgan County, UT: what topping up your attic actually costs
Morgan County, Utah is zone 6 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 $1,909 a year in heating and cooling — a payback around 1.8 years. That's about as fast as attic paybacks get.
Where the savings come from
The estimated savings split roughly $1,831/year heating, $78/year cooling. Out of every 100 US counties tracked here, Morgan County's savings potential beats roughly 78 of them. Within zone 6 specifically, it ranks 438th of 459 counties by estimated savings. Utah averages $1,791/year across the counties tracked here; Morgan County comes in 7% higher.
Morgan County's actual weather, not a national average
The heating and cooling degree days behind this estimate — 6,847 HDD and 487 CDD (base 65°F, 1991-2020 normals) — come from MORGAN, UT US, the nearest NOAA station with published normals, 6.3 miles from Morgan County's center. Combined heating and cooling load puts Morgan County in the 77th percentile of this 3,162-county dataset. Morgan County falls in DOE's moisture regime B (dry), a detail that affects vapor-barrier recommendations more than the R-value target itself.
The smaller top-up scenario
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 $278/year — payback about 8.2 years. This one is a genuine toss-up, not a clear yes.
Next steps for a Morgan County attic
Get more than one quote before committing. Attic access and any needed air sealing move the price around, and most contractors won't take a job below roughly $600 regardless of size - worth asking upfront given Morgan County's estimated $1,909/year on the line.
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.