Wicomico County, MD Insulation Payback
Wicomico County attic insulation, by the numbers
DOE classifies Wicomico County as climate zone 4, mixed-humid — a genuine mix of cold winters and humid summers, with neither one dominating the bill. Its recommended attic R-value for bare joists is R-60. For an attic around 1,000 square feet, closing the gap from R-2 to R-60 costs around $3,480 and saves an estimated $1,247 a year — payback in roughly 2.8 years. Topping up the attic pays for itself fast here.
The breakdown behind the number
Split it out and it's roughly $1,006 a year on the heating side, $241 on cooling. By estimated insulation savings, Wicomico County lands in the 34th percentile nationally. Zone 4 alone covers 825 counties in this dataset, and Wicomico County comes in 691st by savings. Maryland averages $1,395/year across the counties tracked here; Wicomico County comes in 11% lower.
Wicomico County's actual weather, not a national average
Wicomico County's climate figures — 3,764 heating and 1,499 cooling degree days a year — are read from SALISBURY, MD US, 2.3 miles away, NOAA's nearest 1991-2020 normals station. Combined heating and cooling load puts Wicomico County in the 33th percentile of this 3,162-county dataset. One local detail the R-value alone won't tell you: Wicomico County sits in moisture regime A (humid), which can affect the vapor-barrier choice.
Already have some insulation?
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 $182/year saved (~12.5-year payback). Call this borderline rather than a clear win.
Next steps for a Wicomico County attic
Real bids depend on how easy the attic is to reach and whether old insulation needs removing first, so treat $3,480 as a starting estimate for a Wicomico County job, not a quote. Expect at least a $600 minimum charge from most contractors.
Where these figures come from
Wicomico 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.