Posey County, IN Insulation Payback
Posey County, IN: what topping up your attic actually costs
DOE classifies Posey County as climate zone 4, mixed-humid — heating load in winter and cooling load in summer, both worth taking seriously here. Its recommended attic R-value for bare joists is 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 2.4 years at an estimated $1,448/year saved. That's about as fast as attic paybacks get.
Heating vs. cooling in Posey County
The estimated savings split roughly $1,232/year heating, $215/year cooling. Out of every 100 US counties tracked here, Posey County's savings potential beats roughly 49 of them. Within zone 4 specifically, it ranks 276th of 825 counties by estimated savings. Indiana averages $1,634/year across the counties tracked here; Posey County comes in 11% lower.
Posey County's actual weather, not a national average
The heating and cooling degree days behind this estimate — 4,609 HDD and 1,341 CDD (base 65°F, 1991-2020 normals) — come from MT VERNON, IN US, the nearest NOAA station with published normals, 7 miles from Posey County's center. Combined heating and cooling load puts Posey County in the 50th percentile of this 3,162-county dataset. Posey County falls in DOE's moisture regime A (humid), a detail that affects vapor-barrier recommendations more than the R-value target itself.
Already have some insulation?
Already have a few inches up there? Topping R-11 up to R-49 runs about $2,280 for about $211/year saved — roughly 10.8 years to break even. This one is a genuine toss-up, not a clear yes.
Quotes and materials for this job
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 Posey County, not a bid - contractors typically charge a $600 minimum regardless of job size.
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.