A Wilmington rowhome in Trolley Square, a split-level near Newark and a farmhouse outside Odessa have very different stairs. New Castle County takes in all three, across 25 towns from Claymont and Arden in the north to Middletown, Townsend and Port Penn in the south.
Most of those homes share one thing: the bedroom or the only full bathroom sits upstairs. This page explains how the county's housing and ground affect which stair lift fits, and which local, state and federal programs may help with the cost.
Older city neighborhoods such as Trolley Square, Highlands and Brandywine Village are full of rowhomes and pre-1940s houses with narrow, multi-story layouts. The stairs there are often a single straight run between walls, which usually suits a straight stair lift. We measure the width carefully, because a tight stairway still has to leave room for others in the house to walk past the folded seat.
After World War II the county filled in with suburban split-level and colonial homes. Fairfax alone added 700 housing units in 1950. A split-level often has two or three short flights with a landing or turn, and that can mean a curved lift or more than one straight lift, depending on which levels a person needs to reach.
Townhouses and low-rise buildings appear across the county too. In a townhouse the stairs are usually straight but can be steep, so the rail angle and the space at the top and bottom matter as much as the length.
Most of New Castle County is flat and drained by the Brandywine Creek, the Christina River and other channels, with the Delaware River and Delaware Bay along its eastern edge. The northern part is a different story. Ebright Azimuth, the highest natural point in Delaware at 448 feet, is in this county, and some neighborhoods up there sit on hillier ground.
Sloped lots often come with raised entries and multi-level floor plans. When the problem is the steps from the driveway or porch to the front door, an outdoor stair lift built for weather exposure is worth looking at. For someone who uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift is the option to discuss instead.
The county counts 270,266 residents, and 15.6% of them are 65 or older. About 63.1% of households own their homes, which matters because most of the help programs below require that you own and live in the house.
Their options are covered in a separate section, since the main VA grants do not treat stair lifts the way many families expect.
Families here tend to fall into two groups. Some pay privately. Others, often on a fixed income, lean on the county, state and non-profit programs listed further down this page.
Four programs list home modifications as covered: the DSHP-Plus Medicaid waiver, the DDDS waiver for people with developmental disabilities, the DSAAPD Home Modification Program and the Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County OAHMP. None of them names stair lifts outright, so ask whether a lift would be approved before you sign anything.
Several other programs fund accessibility repairs such as ramps and grab bars but do not mention stair lifts. Where you live matters. The county Senior Repair Program is noted as serving areas outside Newark and Wilmington, while the City of Newark runs its own Home Improvement Loan Program for residents inside city limits. USDA Section 504 help is limited to rural addresses, so only outlying parts of the county, such as areas near Middletown, Townsend or Odessa, may qualify.
For a starting point on aging services, the Division of Services for Aging & Adults w/ Physical Disabilities has an office at 1901 N. DuPont Highway in New Castle, 19720, phone (302) 255-9390. Statewide resources also include the Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative (DATI) - Finance Your Independence Loan.
The VA Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) Grant does not pay for stair glides or porch lifts, which it treats as removable equipment. It funds fixed changes such as roll-in showers, widened doorways and permanent ramps.
VA Specially Adapted Housing and Special Home Adaptation grants cover larger home adaptations for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities, but the VA does not name stair lifts in them. To sort out what applies, call the Delaware Office of Veterans Services service officer in Bear at 2465 Chesapeake City Road, phone (302) 365-8231.
Delaware's Medicaid managed long-term care program lists minor home modifications as a covered benefit for people who need help with at least one daily activity and are at risk of nursing-home care, with a 2026 income limit of $2,485/month and an asset limit of $2,000 single or $3,000 married with both applying. A care coordinator must confirm a specific stair lift; call (866) 940-8963.
This Medicaid waiver serves people age 4 and up with a qualifying developmental disability that began before age 22, and it covers home modifications or repairs and assistive technology. There is no waiting list; call DDDS Applicant Services at (302) 744-9700.
A state program giving limited financial assistance to modify homes for Delaware residents age 60 and older or adults with physical disabilities, and home modifications are covered. Call Delaware 211 to check current funding and whether a stair lift request would be approved.
A HUD-funded program for homeowners age 62 or older with income below 80% of area median income who own and live in their home, and it covers home modifications. Call Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County at (302) 652-0365 to confirm the program is still running and whether stair lifts qualify.
Offers a $5,000 grant plus an optional $7,500 no-interest deferred loan for homes with at least one owner age 62 or older, covering code, safety, weatherization and accessibility repairs; stair lifts are not listed, and there is a waiting list. Call (302) 395-5639.
A county grant with income guidelines and limited funds given first-come, first-served, covering ramps, grab bars and bathroom modifications; stair lifts are not listed. Call (302) 395-5639.
Emergency repair help for owners who have lived in the home at least 1 year, earn at or below 80% of area median income and face an immediate health or safety problem; it includes bars and ramps, but stair lifts are not listed. Call (302) 491-4010.
A 0% interest deferred loan for owner-occupants inside Newark city limits at or below 80% of New Castle County area median income, covering accessibility modifications such as ramps, grab bars and widened doorways; stair lifts are not listed. Call (302) 366-7000.
Very-low-income homeowners in USDA-eligible rural areas can get 1% loans up to $40,000, and those 62 and older can get grants up to $10,000 to remove health and safety hazards, up to $50,000 combined. Stair lifts are not listed, and most of Wilmington and Newark is likely ineligible, so check your address on USDA's eligibility map.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability status, for medically necessary fixed alterations. It does not cover stair lifts, which the VA excludes as stair glides.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for FY2026 for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home; stair lifts are not listed. The Bear service officer at (302) 365-8231 can help with questions.
A Center for Independent Living at Two Fox Point Centre, 6 Denny Road, Ste 101, Wilmington, serving people with disabilities in Upper New Castle County with information and referral; stair lifts are not listed. Call (302) 765-0191.
A Center for Independent Living at 105 Sleepy Hollow Drive, Suite A, Middletown, serving people with disabilities in southern New Castle County; stair lifts are not listed, but it is a local referral point. Call (302) 376-4399.
Older adults
1901 N. DuPont Highway, New Castle, 19720
Veterans
2465 Chesapeake City Road, Bear, 19701
Often it can, because rowhome stairs are usually a single straight run, which suits a straight lift. The width of the stairway is the deciding factor, so we measure it in person before recommending anything.
Split-levels can need a curved lift that follows a turn or landing, or a separate straight lift on each flight. It depends on which levels the person needs to reach every day.
The DSAAPD Home Modification Program serves adults with physical disabilities as well as people 60 and older. The DDDS waiver serves people as young as 4 with a qualifying developmental disability. IRI at (302) 765-0191 and FCIL at (302) 376-4399 can also point you to resources.
The HISA grant does not; the VA excludes stair glides and porch lifts. SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either, so ask the Bear service officer at (302) 365-8231 before applying.
Newark residents can look at the city's Home Improvement Loan Program at (302) 366-7000. The county Senior Repair Program is noted as serving areas outside Newark and Wilmington, while statewide programs such as DSHP-Plus and DSAAPD still apply.
Possibly. Section 504 loans and grants are limited to rural areas, and outlying parts of the county near Middletown, Townsend or Odessa may qualify. Check your address on USDA's eligibility map first.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
