Rush County, IN Insulation Payback
Rush County, IN: what topping up your attic actually costs
DOE classifies Rush County as climate zone 5, cold — a real winter that drives most of the annual energy bill 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 2.1 years at an estimated $1,661/year saved. That's about as fast as attic paybacks get.
Where the savings come from
The estimated savings split roughly $1,520/year heating, $142/year cooling. Out of every 100 US counties tracked here, Rush County's savings potential beats roughly 63 of them. Within zone 5 specifically, it ranks 553rd of 745 counties by estimated savings. Indiana averages $1,634/year across the counties tracked here; Rush County comes in 2% higher.
Where these numbers come from
NOAA's RUSHVILLE, IN US station, 1.4 miles from Rush County, supplies the 5,683 HDD and 881 CDD this estimate runs on. Combined heating and cooling load puts Rush County in the 63th percentile of this 3,162-county dataset. Rush County falls in DOE's moisture regime A (humid), a detail that affects vapor-barrier recommendations more than the R-value target itself.
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 $242/year saved (~9.4-year payback). This one is a genuine toss-up, not a clear yes.
Quotes and materials for this job
Real bids depend on how easy the attic is to reach and whether old insulation needs removing first, so treat $3,480 as a starting estimate for a Rush County job, not a quote. Expect at least a $600 minimum charge from most contractors.
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.