Scott County runs along the Illinois River on its western edge and covers 251 square miles with one county seat, Winchester, at 1,574 residents. Bluffs has 618, Manchester 265 and Alsey 195. The Census counts every resident of the county as rural, so most families live a real drive from the hospitals, specialists and equipment suppliers in Jacksonville or Springfield.
That distance shapes how people here age at home. Many households are in the same farmhouses and older two-story homes their families have owned for decades. For a lot of them, a stair lift installed on the existing staircase is the most practical way to keep using the upstairs bedroom or the basement laundry without building on or moving away.
The housing here is mostly single-family homes, detached houses, farmhouses, ranch-style homes and split-level homes. Median home value is $96,400, and there is very little new construction. That points to an older housing stock that has mostly not been renovated.
Older farmhouses often have steep or narrow staircases, and some turn at a landing. A straight stair lift fits a single straight run. A staircase with a turn or a landing usually needs a curved lift built to that exact staircase, which takes longer to make and costs more.
Split-level homes are a different puzzle, with short flights between levels. We measure each flight and talk through which levels you actually use every day before recommending anything.
Ranch-style homes may keep daily life on one floor but still have basement stairs or steps at the entry. Outdoor stair lifts handle porch and entry steps, and a platform lift is the option when someone uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat.
Owner-occupancy was 79% in 2024 data, above the 65.2% national average, and the 2020 Census counted 78.8% of the county's 2,388 housing units as owner-occupied.
Owning the home matters for a stair lift. You can make the decision without a landlord, and several of the funding programs below require that you own and live in the home.
Median household income in the county was $66,705 in 2024, with an 11.5% poverty rate. For a household on a fixed or modest income, a one-time stair lift installation is usually far more within reach than a move or a first-floor addition.
The program that names stair lifts outright is the Illinois Home Modification and Assistive Technology Program. Scott County residents apply through the Jacksonville Area Center for Independent Living or a DRS regional office. Other programs cover home repairs or accessibility work in general terms without naming stair lifts, so ask each one directly.
Some programs depend on age. The Persons with Disabilities waiver requires applying before age 60. The waiver for persons who are elderly starts at 60, and USDA repair grants start at 62. Several programs also warn about waitlists, so it pays to apply early.
Statewide, you can also ask about the IATP ATLOAN$ Program and the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption. Our listings for those programs carry no details, so call them to confirm what they offer.
The VA's HISA benefit explicitly excludes stair glides, treating them as removable equipment. It will not pay for a stair lift.
The VA Specially Adapted Housing and Special Home Adaptation grants fund home modifications for veterans with qualifying severe disabilities, though the VA does not name stair lifts among covered items. The Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs in Springfield can help at (800) 437-9824.
A statewide program for people with disabilities that names stair lifts among its examples of covered modifications. Scott County residents apply through the Jacksonville Area Center for Independent Living or a DRS regional office; call (800) 843-6154.
A Medicaid waiver for Illinois residents under age 60 at application who have a severe disability and are at risk of nursing facility placement. It funds home modifications for loss of function, but the source does not list stair lifts by name; call (877) 581-3690.
A Medicaid waiver for residents 60 and older that covers homemaker, adult day, emergency home response and medication dispenser services. The source does not mention home modifications or stair lifts; call (800) 252-8966.
The Area Agency on Aging for Scott County, based at 2731 S. MacArthur Blvd. in Springfield, offering information, referral and Community Care Program intake. It is not a stair lift fund, and the source does not mention stair lift help; call (800) 252-2918.
A local office at 800 W State St in Jacksonville handling case management, meals, referrals and Meals on Wheels in Winchester. The source does not describe a home modification or stair lift benefit; call (217) 479-4619.
JACIL serves people with disabilities in Morgan, Scott, Cass and Mason Counties and handles intake for the statewide INCIL Home Modification Program, which helped 83 people in its first year and had more than 800 on its waiting list. Stair lifts are not named; call (217) 245-8371.
Funds health, safety and accessibility repairs for low- and very-low-income homeowners, including disabled or mobility-impaired people, and warns of substantial waitlists. Stair lifts are not named; call (312) 836-5200.
Offers repair loans up to $20,000 at 1% over 20 years and grants up to $7,500 for owners 62 and older, or up to $27,500 combined, for low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas. Stair lifts are not named, and grants must be repaid if the home is sold within 3 years.
A VA benefit of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary home accessibility work. It explicitly does not cover stair glides.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) in FY2026 for veterans with qualifying severe disabilities who own or will own their home. The VA does not list stair lifts among its examples of covered work.
Older adults
2731 S. MacArthur Blvd., Springfield, 62704
Veterans
833 South Spring Street, Springfield, 62704
The Illinois Home Modification and Assistive Technology Program lists stair lifts among its examples. Scott County residents apply through the Jacksonville Area Center for Independent Living at (217) 245-8371 or call the program at (800) 843-6154.
Yes. The Illinois Persons with Disabilities HCBS Medicaid Waiver is for people under 60 at application who meet the disability and Medicaid requirements. It covers home modifications, though stair lifts are not named. Call (877) 581-3690.
The Census counts the whole county as rural, so it is likely eligible. USDA still has to confirm each address on its eligibility map, and income must be below 50% of area median income.
Not through HISA, which excludes stair glides. Veterans with qualifying severe disabilities can ask about SAH or SHA grants, or call the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs at (800) 437-9824.
AgeLinc at (800) 252-2918 or the Prairie Council on Aging in Jacksonville at (217) 479-4619. Both handle intake and referrals, though neither funds stair lifts directly.
Often, yes. IHDA warns its grantees have substantial waitlists, and the INCIL program reported more than 800 people waiting. Applying early helps.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
