Wilson County, TX Insulation Payback
Attic insulation payback for Wilson County, TX
Wilson County, Texas is zone 2 under DOE's climate map (Hot-Humid), which means humid heat for much of the year, with cooling running far more than heating ever does. An uninsulated attic there should be built 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 $897 a year — payback in roughly 3.1 years. Worth doing on the numbers alone.
Where the savings come from
Of that, about $391/year comes from reduced heating and $506/year from reduced cooling load through the ceiling. Wilson County beats 10% of the counties in this 3,162-county dataset on estimated insulation savings. Among the 233 counties DOE places in zone 2, Wilson County ranks 45th. Against Texas's own average of $1,035/year, Wilson County runs 13% below that.
The climate data behind this
NOAA's FLORESVILLE, TX US station, 5.4 miles from Wilson County, supplies the 1,472 HDD and 3,178 CDD this estimate runs on. That combined heating-and-cooling load ranks Wilson County 2682nd nationally by total degree days — the 15th percentile. DOE also classifies Wilson County as moisture regime A (humid) - ask a local contractor whether that changes the vapor-barrier approach for this job.
The smaller top-up scenario
Already have a few inches up there? Topping R-11 up to R-38 runs about $1,620 for about $121/year saved — roughly 13.4 years to break even. It is close - the payback only just fits a reasonable timeframe.
Next steps for a Wilson 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 Wilson County's estimated $897/year on the line.
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.