Union County, AR Insulation Payback
Is attic insulation worth it in Union County, AR?
Union County sits in IECC climate zone 3 (Hot-Humid) — long, muggy summers and mild winters, where cooling dominates the energy bill. For a currently uninsulated attic, DOE and Energy Star recommend building 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 $1,069 a year — payback in roughly 2.6 years.
Few home upgrades pay back that quickly.
Where the savings come from
Heating accounts for about $731/year of that and cooling about $339/year — Union County needs both. Nationally, Union County ranks in the 22nd percentile for insulation savings potential. Compared only against its own climate zone, Union County places 310th out of 690. Against Arkansas's own average of $1,185/year, Union County runs 10% below that.
The climate data behind this
The heating and cooling degree days behind this estimate — 2,754 HDD and 2,124 CDD (base 65°F, 1991-2020 normals) — come from Calion L&D, AR US, the nearest NOAA station with published normals, 11.6 miles from Union County's center. That combined heating-and-cooling load ranks Union County 2470th nationally by total degree days — the 22nd percentile. Its moisture regime is classified humid, which matters for whether the attic needs a vapor retarder as part of the job — worth asking a contractor about locally.
Already have some insulation?
A shallower starting point changes the math: with R-11 already down, only the gap to R-38 needs filling, at roughly $1,620 for an estimated $144/year saved (~11.2-year payback). Whether that is worth it depends on how long you plan to stay.
Next steps for a Union County attic
Actual quotes will vary by attic access, existing debris, and whether the job needs air sealing first, so treat the $2,820 figure above as a planning number for Union County, not a bid. Worth getting quotes from at least two local contractors before committing - most charge a $600 minimum regardless of job size.
Union County's numbers, sourced
The methodology guide lists exactly which DOE and NOAA sources feed Union County's numbers, and where the cost assumptions come from. See the DIY vs. contractor guide for whether a job this size is realistic to do yourself.