Presidio County, TX Insulation Payback
Presidio County attic insulation, by the numbers
Presidio County sits in IECC climate zone 3 (Hot-Dry) — intense summer heat with low humidity, where attic radiant heat gain is the main driver. For a currently uninsulated attic, DOE and ENERGY STAR recommend building 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 2.7 years at an estimated $1,045/year saved. Topping up the attic pays for itself fast here.
Heating vs. cooling in Presidio County
Split it out and it's roughly $856 a year on the heating side, $189 on cooling. By estimated insulation savings, Presidio County lands in the 20th percentile nationally. Zone 3 alone covers 690 counties in this dataset, and Presidio County comes in 368th by savings. Texas averages $1,035/year across the counties tracked here; Presidio County comes in 1% higher.
Presidio County's actual weather, not a national average
NOAA's MARFA 3W, TX US station, 24 miles from Presidio County, supplies the 3,228 HDD and 1,183 CDD this estimate runs on. That combined heating-and-cooling load ranks Presidio County 2884th nationally by total degree days — the 9th percentile. One local detail the R-value alone won't tell you: Presidio County sits in moisture regime B (dry), which can affect the vapor-barrier choice.
If the attic isn't bare
Already have a few inches up there? Topping R-11 up to R-38 runs about $1,620 for about $141/year saved — roughly 11.5 years to break even. Call this borderline rather than a clear win.
Getting it done in Presidio County
Actual quotes will vary by attic access, existing debris, and whether the job needs air sealing first. Treat the $2,820 figure above as a planning number for Presidio County, not a bid - contractors typically charge a $600 minimum regardless of job size.
Where these figures come from
Presidio 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.