Logan County covers about 1,845 square miles of the Great Plains in northeastern Colorado. Most people live in and around Sterling, the county seat, while Fleming, Merino, Iliff and Peetz sit among farm country. The houses range from older in-town homes with their original stairways to farmhouses on rural properties.
That mix shapes how a stair lift gets planned here. A Sterling house with a narrow original staircase calls for different measurements than a farmhouse with steps at the back door. This page walks through what to look at in your own home and which local offices can help with the cost.
Logan County recorded 8,668 housing units in the 2020 census, and most of them are single-family homes and detached houses rather than apartment blocks. Many in-town homes in Sterling still have the stairways they were built with. A straight staircase with no turns or landings is usually the simplest fit for a rail-mounted lift.
If the stairs turn, have a landing partway up, or wind around a corner, a curved lift is the usual answer. Curved rails are built to the exact shape of your staircase, so we measure on site before anything is ordered. Townhouses can go either way, depending on how the stairs are laid out.
Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings bring one more question: who owns the stairway. If it is a shared hallway, talk with the building owner before planning any installation.
The terrain here is relatively flat, which makes exterior ramps easier to build than in mountain towns. Flat ground does not help with a basement or a second floor, though. Any multi-level home still needs a way to get between floors indoors.
Winters are the bigger concern outside. Sterling averages a January low of about 14°F and 24.8 inches of snow a year, and ice on porch and entry steps adds to fall risk. An outdoor stair lift, built for weather exposure, can carry a person up entry steps that are hard to keep clear.
When a wheelchair has to come along, a platform lift is worth discussing instead of a seat. It takes more space, so we look at the entry and the ground around it first.
About 18.4% of Logan County residents are 65 or older, and many of them own their homes. Owners can make permanent changes like a mounted rail without asking a landlord. Renters should get written permission first.
The Veteran's Service Officer in Sterling, at 315 Main Street, 2nd Floor, can help sort out which VA benefits apply. Call (970) 520-5876.
Sterling sits roughly 128 miles from Denver, and regional Bustang bus service runs only 2-3 days a week to Denver and Greeley. For families on farms outside Merino or Peetz, that distance matters when scheduling a measurement and installation visit.
It helps to have photos of the staircase, the turns and the landings ready before the first call. That way the visit is planned around the right equipment.
Sterling's median household income was $27,337 as of the 2020 census, so cost is a real question for many families. None of the local programs below names stair lifts outright, but several deal with home repairs, equipment and long-term care at home. A phone call is the only way to know what they will approve for your situation.
NECALG is the main local door. It runs the Area Agency on Aging, the Aging and Disability Resource Center, and the Case Management Agency for Medicaid home and community services. The USDA Section 504 program offers repair loans and grants for rural homeowners with very low income.
Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides. Other statewide resources to ask about include the Assistive Technology Act Program of Colorado (AT Partners) and the Colorado Senior Property Tax Exemption (Senior Homestead Exemption).
A statewide Medicaid pathway for people who need help with at least 2 of 6 Activities of Daily Living; the source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Logan County residents apply through NECALG as the local Case Management Agency, and the listed phone is (800) 221-3943.
Vouchers for adults 60 and older that can assist with home repairs, assistive technology equipment and medical equipment; the source does not name stair lifts. Call (970) 867-9409 to ask whether a lift could qualify.
An information, counseling and referral service for people 60 and over, or 18 and over with a disability, who have long-term care needs; stair lifts are not mentioned. Alaina Maus is the Senior Service Coordinator for Logan/Sedgwick Counties at (970) 522-1970.
The local Case Management Agency for Medicaid HCBS waiver applicants and recipients in Logan County; the source does not list a stair lift benefit. Call (970) 867-9409.
Repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest over 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 lifetime for very-low-income homeowners 62 and older in rural areas like Logan County; stair lifts are not mentioned in the general description. Call (970) 399-8198.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically necessary home changes, depending on disability status. It does not cover stair lifts; the source specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts.
VA grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 (FY2026). The source gives ramps and wider doorways as examples and does not name stair lifts, so ask the Veteran's Service Officer at (970) 520-5876.
Older adults
231 Main St., Suite 211, Fort Morgan, 80701
Veterans
315 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Sterling, 80751
Yes. The NECALG Area Agency on Aging offers Material Aid Vouchers for adults 60 and older, which can assist with home repairs and medical equipment. The source does not name stair lifts, so call (970) 867-9409 and ask.
No. The HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Veterans can ask the Veteran's Service Officer in Sterling at (970) 520-5876 about other VA grants such as SAH or SHA.
The source for the EBD Waiver and Community First Choice does not list stair lifts or home modifications. Applicants must need help with at least 2 of 6 Activities of Daily Living and apply through NECALG, the local Case Management Agency.
Logan County qualifies as rural for USDA Section 504. Homeowners must have very-low household income, and grants up to $10,000 are limited to owners 62 or older who cannot repay a loan. Call (970) 399-8198.
If the entry steps are the hard part, it is worth considering. Sterling averages 24.8 inches of snow a year and January lows near 14°F, and ice on exterior steps raises fall risk.
The Northeastern Colorado AAA is at 231 Main St., Suite 211, Fort Morgan, 80701. The phone number is (970) 867-9409.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
