From an older two-story farmhouse outside Gustine to a newer tract home in Atwater or Los Banos, Merced County has plenty of houses where the bedrooms sit upstairs. The valley floor is flat, so the climb people struggle with is usually inside the house or up the porch, not on the lot.
This page covers the 22 communities in the county, from Merced and Livingston to Snelling, Le Grand and Dos Palos Y. It explains which kind of stair lift suits the homes here and which local and state programs can help with the cost.
The county's housing reflects its Central Valley farming roots. You'll find older two-story farmhouses and Victorian-era homes next to a much larger stock of mid-to-late 20th-century and newer single-family tract homes. Both the old and the new two-story houses create stair problems for people who want to stay put.
Tract homes built in recent decades often have a single straight run of stairs, which is the simplest and most common stair lift job. Older farmhouses and Victorian-era homes are more likely to have landings, turns or narrow treads, and those usually call for a curved rail built to fit that staircase.
Split-level homes and townhouses come up here too. A split-level may need a short lift for each half flight, and a townhouse can have stairs on more than one level, so it helps to walk every staircase before choosing a plan.
Most of western and central Merced County is flat alluvial valley floor. The eastern side climbs into the Sierra Nevada foothills toward the Mariposa County line, topping out at 3,801 ft, but most homes are on level ground.
That means outside steps come from the house itself: raised foundations and porch steps. An outdoor stair lift rated for weather can handle a few porch steps, and a vertical platform lift is worth considering when someone uses a wheelchair and needs to get from the yard to the front door.
About 11.3% of county residents are 65 or older, and 53.6% are homeowners. Owning the home matters, because most home-modification loans and grants require the person to own and live in the house.
If a parent or spouse served and has a service-connected disability, the VA grants listed below can be a strong route to paying for stair access.
Merced County is a lower-income county, so subsidized help and deferred-payment loans matter a lot here. No single program pays for every stair lift, and each one has its own rules about health, income and home ownership.
The two programs whose sources list stair lifts or home modifications as covered are the Medi-Cal HCBA Waiver and the VA SAH and SHA grants. The county housing rehabilitation loan and the local Habitat affiliate may help with accessibility work, but you need to call and confirm. IHSS pays for in-home care hours, not equipment.
If you don't know where to begin, the Merced County AAA (PSA 31) at 851 West 23rd Street in Merced, (209) 385-7550, is the referral gateway to home-modification and waiver programs. Veterans can start with the Merced County Veterans Service Office in Atwater at (209) 385-7588. Statewide options also include the Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP) and the FreedomTech Low-Interest Assistive Technology Loan.
A statewide Medi-Cal waiver that explicitly covers Environmental Accessibility Adaptations (home modifications) for people who qualify for nursing facility or hospital-level care but want to stay home. It is handled case by case with a physician's authorization, has had a waitlist, and you can call (916) 552-9105.
A county-run, Medi-Cal-funded program that pays for in-home help such as personal care, housekeeping and meal prep. It does not fund stair lifts or other home modifications; call (209) 354-2561 for care hours.
The county's information and referral office for adults generally 60 and older and their family caregivers, including caregiver support and HICAP Medicare counseling. Stair lifts are not listed as funded, but it connects people to home-modification and waiver programs at (209) 385-7550.
A nonprofit Independent Living Center serving people with any disability in Fresno, Kings, Madera, Merced and Tulare Counties. Stair lifts are not listed, and any home modification help is referral-based, so call (559) 221-2330 to confirm.
A county deferred-payment loan for low-income owner-occupants to fix health, safety and code problems, secured by a lien on the home. Accessibility work is a common use but stair lifts are not specifically listed, and current loan terms should be confirmed at (209) 385-7550.
Federal grants for veterans with qualifying permanent service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home, covering stair-access adaptations: up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026. Apply with VA Form 26-4555; the separate VA HISA grant generally excludes stair lifts.
A local Habitat affiliate offering home repairs and accessibility changes such as ramps, rails and raised toilets for lower-income homeowners. Whether it covers stair lifts is unknown, so call (209) 575-4585 to ask.
Older adults
851 West 23rd Street, Merced, 95340
Veterans
1920 Customer Care Way, Suite B, Atwater, 95301
Regular Medi-Cal care hours through IHSS will not. The Medi-Cal HCBA Waiver does cover home modifications for people who meet nursing facility level of care, decided case by case with a physician's authorization. It has had a waitlist, so call (916) 552-9105 early.
Yes. The Merced County AAA serves adults generally 60 and older and family caregivers. Call (209) 385-7550 or visit 851 West 23rd Street in Merced for referrals to home-modification and waiver programs.
Usually, yes. Stairs with a landing or a turn need a curved rail made to fit that staircase, while the straight stairs common in newer tract homes take a straight rail.
Veterans with qualifying permanent service-connected disabilities may be eligible for the VA SAH grant (up to $126,526) or SHA grant (up to $25,350) in FY2026. The Merced County Veterans Service Office in Atwater, (209) 385-7588, can help with the application.
An outdoor stair lift can cover porch steps, and a vertical platform lift is an option if a wheelchair is involved. On Merced County's flat valley floor, these house-related steps are the most common outdoor need.
The Merced County Housing Rehabilitation Program offers deferred-payment loans to low-income owner-occupants, and accessibility work is a common use. Stair lifts are not specifically listed, so confirm current terms by calling (209) 385-7550.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
