Tillamook County, OR Insulation Payback
Tillamook County attic insulation, by the numbers
DOE classifies Tillamook County as climate zone 4, marine — a mild coastal climate where the furnace and the AC both mostly stay idle. Its recommended attic R-value for bare joists is R-60. Topping up a typical 1,000-square-foot attic from bare joists (R-2) to R-60 runs an estimated $3,480, and saves about $1,433 a year in heating and cooling — a payback around 2.4 years. Topping up the attic pays for itself fast here.
The breakdown behind the number
Split it out and it's roughly $1,432 a year on the heating side, $2 on cooling. By estimated insulation savings, Tillamook County lands in the 48th percentile nationally. Zone 4 alone covers 825 counties in this dataset, and Tillamook County comes in 307th by savings. Oregon averages $1,557/year across the counties tracked here; Tillamook County comes in 8% lower.
Where these numbers come from
NOAA's TILLAMOOK 6SE, OR US station, 1.8 miles from Tillamook County, supplies the 5,354 HDD and 11 CDD this estimate runs on. Combined heating and cooling load puts Tillamook County in the 36th percentile of this 3,162-county dataset. One local detail the R-value alone won't tell you: Tillamook County sits in moisture regime C (marine), which can affect the vapor-barrier choice.
If the attic isn't bare
Already have a few inches up there? Topping R-11 up to R-49 runs about $2,280 for about $209/year saved — roughly 10.9 years to break even. Call this borderline rather than a clear win.
Getting it done in Tillamook County
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 Tillamook County's estimated $1,433/year on the line.
Where these figures come from
Tillamook 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.