Sherman County, KS Insulation Payback
Attic insulation payback for Sherman County, KS
DOE classifies Sherman 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 2 years at an estimated $1,708/year saved. Hard to find a home improvement with a faster payback than this.
The breakdown behind the number
Of that, about $1,549/year comes from reduced heating and $159/year from reduced cooling load through the ceiling. Sherman County beats 66% of the counties in this 3,162-county dataset on estimated insulation savings. Among the 745 counties DOE places in zone 5, Sherman County ranks 473rd. Against Kansas's own average of $1,594/year, Sherman County runs 7% above that.
The climate data behind this
Sherman County's climate figures — 5,794 heating and 990 cooling degree days a year — are read from GOODLAND, KS US, 1.5 miles away, NOAA's nearest 1991-2020 normals station. Combined heating and cooling load puts Sherman County in the 67th percentile of this 3,162-county dataset. DOE also classifies Sherman 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
If Sherman 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 $249/year — payback about 9.2 years. It is close - the payback only just fits a reasonable timeframe.
Quotes and materials for this job
Actual quotes will vary by attic access, existing debris, and whether the job needs air sealing first. Treat the $3,480 figure above as a planning number for Sherman County, not a bid - contractors typically charge a $600 minimum regardless of job size.
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.