Sherman County, OR Insulation Payback
Sherman County attic insulation, by the numbers
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 $1,727/year saved. Topping up the attic pays for itself fast here.
The breakdown behind the number
Split it out and it's roughly $1,663 a year on the heating side, $64 on cooling. By estimated insulation savings, Sherman County lands in the 68th percentile nationally. Zone 5 alone covers 745 counties in this dataset, and Sherman County comes in 431st by savings. Oregon averages $1,557/year across the counties tracked here; Sherman County comes in 11% higher.
The climate data behind this
The heating and cooling degree days behind this estimate — 6,219 HDD and 401 CDD (base 65°F, 1991-2020 normals) — come from MORO, OR US, the nearest NOAA station with published normals, 6.2 miles from Sherman County's center. By total degree days, Sherman County sits at the 64th percentile nationally. One local detail the R-value alone won't tell you: Sherman County sits in moisture regime B (dry), which can affect the vapor-barrier choice.
Already have some insulation?
Already have a few inches up there? Topping R-11 up to R-49 runs about $2,280 for about $252/year saved — roughly 9 years to break even. Call this borderline rather than a clear win.
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 Sherman County's estimated $1,727/year on the line.
Where these figures come from
Sherman 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.