Wyoming County, WV Insulation Payback
Wyoming County attic insulation, by the numbers
DOE classifies Wyoming County as climate zone 4, mixed-humid — real heating and real cooling seasons both, roughly balanced across the year. 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 2.4 years at an estimated $1,442/year saved. Topping up the attic pays for itself fast here.
Heating vs. cooling in Wyoming County
Split it out and it's roughly $1,299 a year on the heating side, $143 on cooling. By estimated insulation savings, Wyoming County lands in the 49th percentile nationally. Zone 4 alone covers 825 counties in this dataset, and Wyoming County comes in 289th by savings. West Virginia averages $1,526/year across the counties tracked here; Wyoming County comes in 6% lower.
The climate data behind this
NOAA's PINEVILLE, WV US station, 2.2 miles from Wyoming County, supplies the 4,857 HDD and 892 CDD this estimate runs on. Combined heating and cooling load puts Wyoming County in the 46th percentile of this 3,162-county dataset. One local detail the R-value alone won't tell you: Wyoming County sits in moisture regime A (humid), which can affect the vapor-barrier choice.
Already have some insulation?
Already have a few inches up there? Topping R-11 up to R-49 runs about $2,280 for about $210/year saved — roughly 10.8 years to break even. Call this borderline rather than a clear win.
Getting it done in Wyoming County
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 Wyoming County's estimated $1,442/year on the line.
Where these figures come from
Wyoming 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.