Treasure County, MT Insulation Payback
Attic insulation payback for Treasure County, MT
DOE classifies Treasure County as climate zone 6, cold — cold enough that heating, not cooling, is what decides the bill. 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 1.8 years at an estimated $1,967/year saved. Hard to find a home improvement with a faster payback than this.
Heating vs. cooling in Treasure County
Of that, about $1,875/year comes from reduced heating and $92/year from reduced cooling load through the ceiling. Treasure County beats 80% of the counties in this 3,162-county dataset on estimated insulation savings. Among the 459 counties DOE places in zone 6, Treasure County ranks 417th. Against Montana's own average of $2,182/year, Treasure County runs 10% below that.
Treasure County's actual weather, not a national average
NOAA's HYSHAM, MT US station, 4.8 miles from Treasure County, supplies the 7,011 HDD and 573 CDD this estimate runs on. That combined heating-and-cooling load ranks Treasure County 624th nationally by total degree days — the 80th percentile. DOE also classifies Treasure County as moisture regime B (dry) - ask a local contractor whether that changes the vapor-barrier approach for this job.
If the attic isn't bare
A shallower starting point changes the math: with R-11 already down, only the gap to R-49 needs filling, at roughly $2,280 for an estimated $287/year saved (~7.9-year payback). Topping up the attic pays for itself here.
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 Treasure 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.