Tishomingo County, MS Insulation Payback
Tishomingo County, MS: what topping up your attic actually costs
Tishomingo County, Mississippi is zone 3 under DOE's climate map (Mixed-Humid), which means a genuine mix of cold winters and humid summers, with neither one dominating the bill. An uninsulated attic there should be built up to R-49. Topping up a typical 1,000-square-foot attic from bare joists (R-2) to R-49 runs an estimated $2,820, and saves about $1,204 a year in heating and cooling — a payback around 2.3 years. That's about as fast as attic paybacks get.
Heating vs. cooling in Tishomingo County
The estimated savings split roughly $966/year heating, $238/year cooling. Out of every 100 US counties tracked here, Tishomingo County's savings potential beats roughly 32 of them. Within zone 3 specifically, it ranks 88th of 690 counties by estimated savings. Mississippi averages $1,022/year across the counties tracked here; Tishomingo County comes in 18% higher.
The climate data behind this
Tishomingo County's climate figures — 3,641 heating and 1,492 cooling degree days a year — are read from IUKA, MS US, 2.8 miles away, NOAA's nearest 1991-2020 normals station. That combined heating-and-cooling load ranks Tishomingo County 2231st nationally by total degree days — the 29th percentile. Tishomingo 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
If Tishomingo 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 $162/year — payback about 10 years. 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 $2,820 as a starting estimate for a Tishomingo 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-49 is the target here specifically.