Boone County sits in far northern Illinois near the Wisconsin border, with Belvidere as the county seat and seven other communities spread across 282 square miles: Candlewick Lake, Poplar Grove, Capron, Timberlane, Argyle, Garden Prairie and Caledonia. Older homes near Belvidere's North State Street Historic District share the county with newer subdivisions, ranch houses and split-level homes.
That mix matters when a parent starts struggling with the stairs. A tall, older staircase in Belvidere calls for a different lift than a short split-level run in a later subdivision. This page walks through what we see in Boone County homes and which local and state programs may help with the cost.
Most homes here are owner-occupied. About 79.9% of Boone County households own their home, and the market is stable and long-tenured, so many people are planning to stay put rather than move.
In and around Belvidere's historic core, including the area around the Floyd Hopkins Block, we often find older multi-story staircases. These can be steep or have landings and turns, which usually points to a curved stair lift built to fit that exact staircase.
Newer parts of the county lean toward ranch and split-level layouts from later 20th-century growth. A split-level often has short, straight flights between floors, and a straight stair lift on each flight is usually the simpler and lower-cost answer.
Boone County housing also includes townhouses, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings. Townhouses tend to have one straight interior staircase, which suits a standard straight lift.
In a walk-up or a low-rise building, the stairs may be shared. Before any work, the owner or building manager has to approve the installation, so it helps to have that conversation early. If someone uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift may be the better fit to discuss.
The county's terrain runs from thickly wooded forested hills to grassy prairie plains, with the Kishwaukee River across the southern flood plains and higher ground in the northern townships. Homes on sloped lots can have front or back steps that become the real problem, not the indoor stairs.
For those entry steps, an outdoor stair lift built for weather exposure is an option. Outside Belvidere, settlement is rural and small-town, so we plan visits to Capron, Argyle, Caledonia and other outlying areas with travel in mind.
Boone County has a population of 38,130, and 14.8% of residents are 65 or older.
The county's median household income was $70,396 in 2010, with 8.2% of residents below the poverty line. Several programs below use income limits, so it is worth checking eligibility before ruling them out.
The clearest path to stair lift funding is the Illinois Home Modification and Assistive Technology benefit through Medicaid HCBS waivers. Its source lists stair lifts by name as an example of covered home modifications, approved through the person's individualized care plan.
Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The Veterans Assistance Commission of Boone County in Belvidere can still help sort out which VA options apply.
For referrals and help applying, start with the Northwestern Illinois Area Agency on Aging or RAMP Center for Independent Living. The full list of programs is below.
This benefit pays for home modifications, and its source names stair lifts as an example, for Medicaid-eligible Illinois residents enrolled in a qualifying HCBS waiver. Call (800) 843-6154.
This waiver serves Illinois residents under age 60 at application with a severe disability expected to last 12 or more months and includes Environmental Accessibility Adaptations to the home, though stair lifts are not listed by name. Call (877) 581-3690.
The aging agency for Boone County offers information and referral, Community Care Program access and caregiver resources; its source does not list stair lifts or home modification grants. Call (815) 226-4901.
RAMP is the Center for Independent Living serving Boone County residents with disabilities and helps with accessible housing, but its source does not list stair lifts or a home modification fund. Call (815) 968-7467.
VACBC provides need-based vouchers or direct payments for items such as food, utilities and rent or mortgage for Boone County veterans; stair lifts are not listed. Call (815) 544-6464 to ask about referral to VA grants.
HISA pays up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically necessary home alterations with a VA physician's prescription. Stair glides are specifically excluded, so it does not cover stair lifts.
These grants offer up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) in FY2026 for veterans with specific service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home. Stair lifts are not named on the source, which mentions ramps and widened doorways.
This program can fund up to $60,000 per household for low-to-moderate-income housing rehab, but only in years Boone County or a local municipality holds an active award. Stair lifts are not listed by name.
Homeowners in USDA-eligible rural areas can get repair loans up to $40,000, and very-low-income homeowners 62 and older can get grants up to $10,000; stair lifts are not named, though accessibility modifications are. Call (800) 414-1226.
Older adults
1111 South Alpine Road, Suite 600, Rockford, 61108
Veterans
130 S. State Street Suite 212, Belvidere, 61008
Yes. The Illinois Home Modification and Assistive Technology benefit under Medicaid HCBS waivers lists stair lifts as an example of covered modifications. You must be Medicaid-eligible and enrolled in a qualifying waiver, and the lift is approved through your care plan. Call (800) 843-6154.
The Persons with Disabilities (PD) Waiver is for Illinois residents under age 60 at application who have a severe disability expected to last 12 or more months. It covers Environmental Accessibility Adaptations to the home, though stair lifts are not named. Call (877) 581-3690.
No. HISA specifically excludes stair glides. The VA SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either, so talk with the Veterans Assistance Commission of Boone County at (815) 544-6464, 130 S. State Street Suite 212 in Belvidere.
Usually, yes. Older homes near the North State Street Historic District often have tall staircases with turns or landings, which typically need a curved lift measured for that staircase. A home visit tells us which type fits.
USDA Section 504 offers grants up to $10,000 lifetime to very-low-income homeowners 62 and older in USDA-eligible rural areas who cannot repay a loan. Stair lifts are not named, but accessibility modifications are. Call (800) 414-1226.
Call the Northwestern Illinois Area Agency on Aging at (815) 226-4901, at 1111 South Alpine Road, Suite 600, Rockford. RAMP Center for Independent Living at (815) 968-7467 is another local starting point for people with disabilities.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
