Norman, NC
7 miles north
99 people, about a ninth of Ellerbe's population
Attic insulation in NormanAttic Insulation in Ellerbe, NC
Blown-in attic insulation for Ellerbe, NC, in Richmond County, plus removal and air sealing.
About Ellerbe and Its Homes
Ellerbe, in northern Richmond County, began as a fairground where Scottish settlers gathered each May and November, took its name from a mineral springs resort nearby, and was incorporated in 1911. Not much has been published about the houses inside the town.
Ellerbe, in Richmond County, fell from 855 people in 2020 to 845 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimates), on 1.31 square miles. That makes Ellerbe the third-largest town in Richmond County.
Ellerbe has about 480 housing units, 2 percent of Richmond County's; about 56 percent of the town's households own their home.
Ellerbe at a Glance
- County: Richmond County
- Population: 845 (2025), 855 (2020), down 1.2%
- Land area: 1.31 square miles (645 people each)
- Housing units: about 480 (±138)
- Median year built: 1980 (±6); Richmond County: 1976
- Owner-occupied: 56% (±9); Richmond County: 66%
- Detached houses: 63% (±10); Richmond County: 68%
- Mobile homes: 18% (±10)
- Climate zone: 3 on both maps
- ENERGY STAR target for Ellerbe attics: R-49 from bare, R-38 over 3 to 4 inches (R-value guide)
Census Bureau estimates for Ellerbe, 2020 to 2024 (± margin of error).
Attic Insulation in Ellerbe
About 35 percent of Ellerbe's homes predate 1970; if your joists show above the insulation, ENERGY STAR says to add more insulation.
The Local Climate
Ellerbe's center sits about 540 feet above sea level, 9 miles from NOAA's Jackson Springs 5 WNW station, the best match for Ellerbe. The station's 1991 to 2020 normals average about 3,040 heating and 1,780 cooling degree days a year, so at Ellerbe's station, heating needs outweigh cooling.
Ellerbe sits about 200 feet below the station, so expect slightly milder winters.
Homes by Age: What It Means for the Attic
About 63 percent of Ellerbe housing units are detached single-family houses, about 18 percent mobile homes. With about 480 housing units in Ellerbe, read the figures as rough proportions.
Built from 1940 to 1969, about 30 percent of Ellerbe homes often have little insulation. In 2010 or later, about 10 percent of Ellerbe homes went up; check their air sealing as well as the depth.
About 50 percent of Ellerbe's housing units predate 1980; nearly all predate the state's 1978 insulation rule too.
Homes by Year Built
- Before 1940: 8% (±7), about 35 units
- 1940s: 8% (±7), about 40 units
- 1950s: 6% (±6), about 30 units
- 1960s: 13% (±8), about 65 units
- 1970s: 13% (±9), about 60 units
- 1990s: 5% (±5), about 25 units
- 2000s: under 2%
- 2010s: 11% (±8), about 50 units
- 2020 or later: under 3%
Air Sealing and Duct Sealing in Ellerbe
In Rockingham, the nearest town to Ellerbe with solid figures, about 60 percent of homes heat with electricity.
Air sealing comes first, as the EPA advises: wire and pipe holes, wall tops and soffits.
How Homes Here Are Heated
- Piped gas: under 8%, about 10 households
- Bottled or tank gas: 16% (±10), about 65 households
- Oil or kerosene: under 18%, about 35 households
Power, Gas and Rebates
Duke Energy Progress serves most of Ellerbe, Pee Dee Electric its edges; your bill says which. For gas, Ellerbe is in the Richmond County franchise of Piedmont Natural Gas, whose mains may not reach every street in Ellerbe. Bottled or tank gas, bought by the delivery, heats about 16 percent of homes in Ellerbe.
Rebate to check in Ellerbe: Smart $aver Insulate and Seal (Duke Energy; Insulation Pros is an approved trade ally). Before a job in Ellerbe, check its current terms; the Richmond County page lists every program.
Attic Insulation Removal in Ellerbe
In an Ellerbe attic, only wet, moldy or animal-soiled insulation is vacuumed out (ENERGY STAR's test), once the cause is fixed, and after mice that Ellerbe attic is sanitized and deodorized; dry, clean insulation stays.
Also Serving Near Ellerbe
Nearest to Ellerbe first.
Rockingham, NC
9 miles south
Median home built 1967 (Ellerbe: 1980); Center about 250 feet lower than Ellerbe's
Attic insulation in RockinghamDobbins Heights, NC
12 miles south
Its NOAA station logs about 220 fewer heating degree days than Ellerbe's; 685 people to Ellerbe's 845
Attic insulation in Dobbins HeightsHoffman, NC
12 miles east
Median home built 1992 (Ellerbe: 1980); 426 people to Ellerbe's 845
Attic insulation in HoffmanHamlet, NC
13 miles south
Median home built 1963 (Ellerbe: 1980); Center about 240 feet lower than Ellerbe's
Attic insulation in Hamlet
Ellerbe Insulation FAQs
Is my house here listed as historic anywhere?
Not in the state's records. The National Register list for Richmond County has no property inside the town limits. Three listings carry the Ellerbe name, a springs hotel, a farm and a schoolhouse, but each is recorded as being in the countryside around it. Among local preservation commissions in this county, the state's 2023 roll lists Rockingham's alone. So attic work in town answers to no historic review, and your house's own age and build set the plan.
Do the can lights in my Ellerbe kitchen ceiling limit the attic insulation?
Yes, unless each fixture is rated for contact. The Census figures on this page show the larger share of homes here went up after 1969, so recessed cans and boxed kitchen soffits are worth looking for. ENERGY STAR says a can without an IC rating needs 3 inches of open space around it. An IC-rated one may be covered. A soffit over the cabinets can be hollow up into the attic, so its top is capped and sealed before insulation goes over it.
Could the old insulation in an Ellerbe attic be vermiculite?
It could: about 20 percent of Ellerbe's homes predate 1960. If an Ellerbe attic holds a pebble-like gray-brown or silver-gold fill, leave it undisturbed: the EPA says vermiculite may contain asbestos.
Does attic insulation in Ellerbe need a permit?
Ellerbe Town Hall can say whether Richmond County Building Inspection, the town itself or another office handles permits in Ellerbe; ask before work starts.
Helpful Guides
- Power from Duke Energy Progress: high summer electric bills and home energy audits
Sources
Census Bureau figures for Ellerbe, NOAA normals for the Jackson Springs 5 WNW station, Duke Energy Progress (October 2026). Compiled by Insulation Pros. How the town pages are made.
Sources for the Ellerbe introduction and questions (read October 20, 2026):
- Ellerbe, in The North Carolina Gazetteer (William S. Powell, 2nd ed., UNC Press 2010), NCpedia
- Historic Resources of Rockingham, National Register multiple resource nomination (NC HPO, prepared 1981)
- NC Listings in the National Register of Historic Places, NC State Historic Preservation Office
- Historic Preservation Commission Staff in North Carolina, listed by county, as of 2/20/2023 (NC HPO)
- Year Structure Built (table B25034), Ellerbe town, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau via Census Reporter
- Attic Insulation Project, ENERGY STAR
- Sealing Air Leaks in the Attic, ENERGY STAR do-it-yourself guide
Ellerbe, NC
Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)Serving Ellerbe, NC
Insulation Pros is an insulation contractor serving North Carolina, Ellerbe and the rest of Richmond County included.
Reach us
Send the square footage of your Ellerbe attic, or call (336) 870-3893.