Wharton County, TX Insulation Payback
Wharton County attic insulation, by the numbers
DOE classifies Wharton County as climate zone 2, hot-humid — humid heat for much of the year, with cooling running far more than heating ever does. Its recommended attic R-value for bare joists is R-49. Going from R-2 to the recommended R-49 costs roughly $2,820 installed for a typical attic (about 1,000 sq ft), and pays for itself in about 3.3 years at an estimated $849/year saved. Topping up the attic pays for itself here.
Where the savings come from
Split it out and it's roughly $322 a year on the heating side, $527 on cooling. By estimated insulation savings, Wharton County lands in the 6th percentile nationally. Zone 2 alone covers 233 counties in this dataset, and Wharton County comes in 117th by savings. Texas averages $1,035/year across the counties tracked here; Wharton County comes in 18% lower.
Where these numbers come from
Wharton County's climate figures — 1,214 heating and 3,307 cooling degree days a year — are read from EL CAMPO, TX US, 5.8 miles away, NOAA's nearest 1991-2020 normals station. That combined heating-and-cooling load ranks Wharton County 2787th nationally by total degree days — the 12th percentile. One local detail the R-value alone won't tell you: Wharton County sits in moisture regime A (humid), which can affect the vapor-barrier choice.
The smaller top-up scenario
If Wharton 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 $114/year — payback about 14.2 years. Call this borderline rather than a clear win.
Next steps for a Wharton 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 Wharton County's estimated $849/year on the line.
Where these figures come from
Wharton County's R-49 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-49 is the target here specifically.