Refugio County, TX Insulation Payback
Refugio County attic insulation, by the numbers
Refugio County sits in IECC climate zone 2 (Hot-Humid) — humid heat for much of the year, with cooling running far more than heating ever does. 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 3.5 years at an estimated $809/year saved. Topping up the attic pays for itself here.
Where the savings come from
Split it out and it's roughly $281 a year on the heating side, $527 on cooling. By estimated insulation savings, Refugio County lands in the 4th percentile nationally. Zone 2 alone covers 233 counties in this dataset, and Refugio County comes in 167th by savings. Texas averages $1,035/year across the counties tracked here; Refugio County comes in 22% lower.
Where these numbers come from
NOAA's REFUGIO 2 NW, TX US station, 8.1 miles from Refugio County, supplies the 1,061 HDD and 3,308 CDD this estimate runs on. By total degree days, Refugio County sits at the 8th percentile nationally. One local detail the R-value alone won't tell you: Refugio County sits in moisture regime A (humid), which can affect the vapor-barrier choice.
The smaller top-up scenario
Already have a few inches up there? Topping R-11 up to R-38 runs about $1,620 for about $109/year saved — roughly 14.9 years to break even. Call this borderline rather than a clear win.
Next steps for a Refugio County attic
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 Refugio County, not a bid - contractors typically charge a $600 minimum regardless of job size.
Where these figures come from
Refugio 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.