Perry County, AR Insulation Payback
Perry County attic insulation, by the numbers
Perry County, Arkansas is zone 3 under DOE's climate map (Mixed-Humid), which means a genuine mix of cold winters and humid summers, with neither one dominating the bill. An uninsulated attic there should be built up to R-49. Going from R-2 to the recommended R-49 costs roughly $2,820 installed for a typical attic (about 1,000 sq ft), and pays for itself in about 2.4 years at an estimated $1,196/year saved. Topping up the attic pays for itself fast here.
The breakdown behind the number
Split it out and it's roughly $927 a year on the heating side, $269 on cooling. By estimated insulation savings, Perry County lands in the 31th percentile nationally. Zone 3 alone covers 690 counties in this dataset, and Perry County comes in 100th by savings. Arkansas averages $1,185/year across the counties tracked here; Perry County comes in 1% higher.
The climate data behind this
The heating and cooling degree days behind this estimate — 3,494 HDD and 1,687 CDD (base 65°F, 1991-2020 normals) — come from ALUM FK, AR US, the nearest NOAA station with published normals, 11.5 miles from Perry County's center. Combined heating and cooling load puts Perry County in the 31th percentile of this 3,162-county dataset. One local detail the R-value alone won't tell you: Perry County sits in moisture regime A (humid), which can affect the vapor-barrier choice.
The smaller top-up scenario
If Perry 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 $161/year — payback about 10.1 years. Call this borderline rather than a clear win.
Getting it done in Perry County
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 Perry County's estimated $1,196/year on the line.
Where these figures come from
Perry 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.