Pulaski County, IN Insulation Payback
Attic insulation payback for Pulaski County, IN
DOE classifies Pulaski County as climate zone 5, cold — winters that dominate the energy bill, with cooling a minor factor. 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 1.9 years at an estimated $1,794/year saved. Hard to find a home improvement with a faster payback than this.
Where the savings come from
Of that, about $1,662/year comes from reduced heating and $132/year from reduced cooling load through the ceiling. Pulaski County beats 72% of the counties in this 3,162-county dataset on estimated insulation savings. Among the 745 counties DOE places in zone 5, Pulaski County ranks 309th. Against Indiana's own average of $1,634/year, Pulaski County runs 10% above that.
The climate data behind this
NOAA's WINAMAC 2SSE, IN US station, 5.7 miles from Pulaski County, supplies the 6,217 HDD and 819 CDD this estimate runs on. Combined heating and cooling load puts Pulaski County in the 72th percentile of this 3,162-county dataset. DOE also classifies Pulaski County as moisture regime A (humid) - ask a local contractor whether that changes the vapor-barrier approach for this job.
If the attic isn't bare
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 $262/year saved (~8.7-year payback). It is close - the payback only just fits a reasonable timeframe.
Quotes and materials for this job
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 Pulaski County's estimated $1,794/year on the line.
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.