Yuma County, AZ Insulation Payback
Yuma County attic insulation, by the numbers
Yuma County sits in IECC climate zone 2 (Hot-Dry) — scorching, dry summers where heat radiating straight through the roof does most of the damage. For a currently uninsulated attic, DOE and ENERGY STAR recommend building up to R-49. Topping up a typical 1,000-square-foot attic from bare joists (R-2) to R-49 runs an estimated $2,820, and saves about $981 a year in heating and cooling — a payback around 2.9 years. Topping up the attic pays for itself fast here.
Heating vs. cooling in Yuma County
Split it out and it's roughly $316 a year on the heating side, $666 on cooling. By estimated insulation savings, Yuma County lands in the 15th percentile nationally. Zone 2 alone covers 233 counties in this dataset, and Yuma County comes in 8th by savings. Arizona averages $1,149/year across the counties tracked here; Yuma County comes in 15% lower.
Where these numbers come from
Yuma County's climate figures — 1,190 heating and 4,176 cooling degree days a year — are read from TACNA 3 NE, AZ US, 3.6 miles away, NOAA's nearest 1991-2020 normals station. By total degree days, Yuma County sits at the 36th percentile nationally. One local detail the R-value alone won't tell you: Yuma County sits in moisture regime B (dry), which can affect the vapor-barrier choice.
If the attic isn't bare
Already have a few inches up there? Topping R-11 up to R-38 runs about $1,620 for about $132/year saved — roughly 12.3 years to break even. Call this borderline rather than a clear win.
Getting it done in Yuma 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 Yuma County's estimated $981/year on the line.
Where these figures come from
Yuma 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.