Walsh County, ND Insulation Payback
Walsh County attic insulation, by the numbers
DOE classifies Walsh County as climate zone 7, very cold — severe, long winters where heating is nearly the whole story. 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 1.4 years at an estimated $2,491/year saved. Topping up the attic pays for itself fast here.
Heating vs. cooling in Walsh County
Split it out and it's roughly $2,393 a year on the heating side, $98 on cooling. By estimated insulation savings, Walsh County lands in the 97th percentile nationally. Zone 7 alone covers 120 counties in this dataset, and Walsh County comes in 70th by savings. North Dakota averages $2,496/year across the counties tracked here; Walsh County comes in 0% higher.
Where these numbers come from
NOAA's GRAFTON, ND US station, 13.9 miles from Walsh County, supplies the 8,950 HDD and 611 CDD this estimate runs on. Combined heating and cooling load puts Walsh County in the 98th percentile of this 3,162-county dataset.
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 $363/year saved — roughly 6.3 years to break even. Worth doing on the numbers alone.
Next steps for a Walsh County attic
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 Walsh County's estimated $2,491/year on the line.
Where these figures come from
Walsh 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.