St. Francis County, AR Insulation Payback
St. Francis County, AR: what topping up your attic actually costs
St. Francis County, Arkansas is zone 3 under DOE's climate map (Mixed-Humid), which means heating load in winter and cooling load in summer, both worth taking seriously here. An uninsulated attic there should be built up to R-49. For an attic around 1,000 square feet, closing the gap from R-2 to R-49 costs around $2,820 and saves an estimated $1,187 a year — payback in roughly 2.4 years. That's about as fast as attic paybacks get.
Heating vs. cooling in St. Francis County
The estimated savings split roughly $839/year heating, $348/year cooling. Out of every 100 US counties tracked here, St. Francis County's savings potential beats roughly 30 of them. Within zone 3 specifically, it ranks 113th of 690 counties by estimated savings. Arkansas averages $1,185/year across the counties tracked here; St. Francis County comes in 0% higher.
The climate data behind this
The heating and cooling degree days behind this estimate — 3,163 HDD and 2,183 CDD (base 65°F, 1991-2020 normals) — come from WYNNE, AR US, the nearest NOAA station with published normals, 16.2 miles from St. Francis County's center. That combined heating-and-cooling load ranks St. Francis County 2030th nationally by total degree days — the 36th percentile. St. Francis County falls in DOE's moisture regime A (humid), a detail that affects vapor-barrier recommendations more than the R-value target itself.
Already have some insulation?
If St. Francis County's attic already has 3-4 inches of old insulation (about R-11) rather than bare joists, the recommended target drops to R-38. That smaller top-up costs around $1,620 and saves an estimated $160/year — payback about 10.1 years. This one is a genuine toss-up, not a clear yes.
Next steps for a St. Francis 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 St. Francis County, not a bid - contractors typically charge a $600 minimum regardless of job size.
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-49 is the target here specifically.