Montgomery County spreads across 505.44 square miles of low rolling hills and farmland, with Sugar Creek cutting through the middle. Crawfordsville is the only city and the county seat, and the rest of the population is split among small towns like Ladoga, Darlington, Waynetown, Linden, Waveland and New Ross, plus farm properties in between.
A lot of the houses here are older, multi-story homes with the bedrooms and a full bath up a flight of interior stairs. For many families, adding a stair lift to the house they already own is a more practical fix than remodeling for single-floor living. This page walks through what the local homes mean for the type of lift you would need and where Montgomery County residents can look for help paying for one.
Crawfordsville has a good share of historic-era housing, and the small towns around it follow the same pattern found across rural Indiana: two-story houses with an interior staircase. The 2020 Census counted 16,464 housing units in the county, and much of that stock has been in the same hands for a long time.
If your staircase runs in one straight flight from bottom to top, a straight rail lift is usually the simplest and most affordable option. Stairs with a landing, a turn or a curve near the top need a curved rail built to fit that specific staircase. We measure the stairs in person before recommending either.
Not every home here is a classic two-story farmhouse. The county also has split-level homes, townhouses and walk-up apartments, and each one changes the job.
A split-level often has more than one short flight, so the question becomes which flight matters most for daily life and whether one lift or more is needed. In a townhouse or walk-up, it is worth confirming with the owner or association before any rail is mounted to a shared stair.
As of the 2020 Census, 52.9% of Montgomery County residents lived in rural areas. Many older homeowners are on properties some distance from in-town services, which makes getting in and out of the house safely just as important as getting upstairs.
When the trouble spot is the porch or entry steps rather than the inside staircase, an outdoor-rated stair lift or a platform lift may fit better. A platform lift is also the usual choice when someone needs to stay in a wheelchair rather than transfer to a seat.
About 18.6% of Montgomery County residents are 65 or older, and 69.2% of households own their homes. That combination describes a lot of people who want to stay in a house they have lived in for years and can make changes to it.
If that includes someone in your family, VA housing grants are worth checking before paying out of pocket, though not every VA program covers a stair lift.
The main local door for funding is the Area IV Agency on Aging (PSA 4) at 660 N. 36th St. in Lafayette, phone (765) 447-7683. Montgomery County applicants go through them for the Indiana PathWays for Aging Waiver, the Indiana Health & Wellness Waiver and the Indiana CHOICE Program, all of which list home modifications among covered services.
Veterans should call the Montgomery County Veterans Service Office at (765) 361-4133 in the Montgomery County Government Center, 1580 Constitution Row, Crawfordsville. The VA Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) Grant lists stair lifts between floors, while the HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides.
Other options, including USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants, Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County and the INDATA Alternative Financing Program (AFP), are listed statewide or locally but do not name stair lifts in their sources. The details for each local program are below.
A Medicaid home and community-based services waiver for people 60 and older who meet nursing-facility level of care; it lists home modifications and home modification assessments as covered services. Apply through the Area IV Agency on Aging at (765) 447-7683.
The under-60 counterpart to the PathWays waiver, for aged, blind or disabled people who meet nursing-facility level of care, and it also covers home modifications. Apply through the Area IV Agency on Aging at (765) 447-7683.
A state-funded, non-Medicaid program for Indiana residents 60 and older and adults with disabilities who need help staying at home; covered services include home modifications, and higher-income applicants may pay on a sliding scale. Call (765) 447-7683 to ask whether a stair lift can go in your care plan.
Federal repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest for very-low-income homeowners, with grants up to $10,000 for those 62 or older who cannot repay a loan. The source mentions unsafe steps and wheelchair ramps but does not name stair lifts.
A VA grant for medically needed structural changes, with a lifetime maximum of $6,800 or $2,000 depending on the disability. Stair glides and porch lifts are specifically excluded, so it does not cover a stair lift.
A VA grant of up to $109,986 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans with specific severe, permanent service-connected disabilities, and stair lifts between floors are listed as a common funded modification. The Montgomery County Veterans Service Office at (765) 361-4133 can help with the application.
A VA grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own the home or live in a family member's home. Its source lists general stair modifications but does not name stair lifts.
A volunteer-supported repair and accessibility program that mainly serves existing Habitat homeowners in the county and helps make homes wheelchair accessible; stair lifts are not named. Call (765) 365-5233 to confirm current eligibility.
A local advocacy, navigation and education group for seniors and people with disabilities that can point you to Area IV, CHOICE and other programs. It does not fund home modifications or stair lifts.
Older adults
660 N. 36th St., Lafayette, 47903
Veterans
Montgomery County Government Center, 1580 Constitution Row, Crawfordsville, 47933
Yes, the Indiana Health & Wellness Waiver serves people 59 and under who are aged, blind or disabled and meet nursing-facility level of care, and it covers home modifications. The Indiana CHOICE Program also serves adults with disabilities. Both start with a call to the Area IV Agency on Aging at (765) 447-7683.
Through the Area IV Agency on Aging (PSA 4), 660 N. 36th St., Lafayette, IN 47903, phone (765) 447-7683. That office serves Montgomery County along with several neighboring counties.
It depends on the grant. The VA Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) Grant lists stair lifts between floors, but the HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. Call the Montgomery County Veterans Service Office in Crawfordsville at (765) 361-4133 to see which one fits.
The USDA Section 504 program offers grants up to $10,000 to very-low-income homeowners 62 or older who cannot repay a loan. Its source mentions unsafe steps and wheelchair ramps but does not name stair lifts, so ask before counting on it.
There is no stated maximum dollar cap, but higher-income applicants may be asked to share the cost on a sliding scale. Area IV at (765) 447-7683 can explain what that would look like for your household.
Often, yes. Split-level homes are common in the county, and the usual approach is to look at which flight matters most for daily living and whether a straight or curved rail fits it. An in-home measurement settles the question.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
