Randolph County, IN Insulation Payback
Randolph County attic insulation, by the numbers
Randolph County sits in IECC climate zone 5 (Cold) — cold enough that heating, not cooling, is what decides the bill. For a currently uninsulated attic, DOE and ENERGY STAR recommend building up to 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 years at an estimated $1,733/year saved. Topping up the attic pays for itself fast here.
Heating vs. cooling in Randolph County
Split it out and it's roughly $1,600 a year on the heating side, $133 on cooling. By estimated insulation savings, Randolph County lands in the 68th percentile nationally. Zone 5 alone covers 745 counties in this dataset, and Randolph County comes in 419th by savings. Indiana averages $1,634/year across the counties tracked here; Randolph County comes in 6% higher.
Where these numbers come from
Randolph County's climate figures — 5,983 heating and 830 cooling degree days a year — are read from WINCHESTER AIRPORT 3 E, IN US, 4.5 miles away, NOAA's nearest 1991-2020 normals station. That combined heating-and-cooling load ranks Randolph County 1022nd nationally by total degree days — the 68th percentile. One local detail the R-value alone won't tell you: Randolph County sits in moisture regime A (humid), which can affect the vapor-barrier choice.
The smaller top-up scenario
If Randolph 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 $253/year — payback about 9 years. Call this borderline rather than a clear win.
Getting it done in Randolph 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 Randolph County's estimated $1,733/year on the line.
Where these figures come from
Randolph County's R-60 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-60 is the target here specifically.