Frostburg sits near 2,100 feet. Cumberland, only about eight miles away, sits at roughly 627 feet. That drop shapes how people live across Allegany County's 26 towns, from La Vale and Cresaptown to Westernport, Lonaconing and Mount Savage: houses climb hillsides, front steps rise from the street, and the bedrooms are often a flight or two up.
This page covers what those homes mean for a stair lift, which type tends to fit, and which state, federal and county programs may help with the cost. It is written for the homeowner who wants to stay put and for the son or daughter trying to make that possible.
Cumberland still has a large stock of late-19th- and early-20th-century homes from its railroad and industrial years, including the residences of the Washington Street Historic District. Many sit on sloped lots and steep streets, hemmed in by Wills Mountain, Haystack Mountain and Shriver Ridge.
In houses like these, the stairs are usually narrow, and some turn at a landing or wind near the top. A straight stair lift works on a single run with no turns. Once the staircase bends, a curved lift with a rail built to that exact stair is the usual answer.
Lot grade matters too. On a steep site, a ramp to the front door can get long and hard to fit, so an outdoor stair lift on the entry steps or a platform lift is often the more practical way to get from the street to the porch.
Housing across the county includes single-family homes, townhouses, split-level homes, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings. A townhouse with one straight flight is often the simplest install. Split-level homes have several short runs, so we look at which levels the person actually needs and whether one lift or more makes sense.
Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings involve shared stairs, which means the building owner has a say before anything is mounted. About 66.3% of households here own their home, and owners have the most freedom to choose and install a lift.
Out of a population of 49,133, about 20.2% of county residents are 65 or older. That is roughly one person in five, many living in houses built long before anyone thought about aging in place.
If that includes your parent, the VA programs below are worth a call, though they come with limits on stair lifts that you should know up front.
The county's poverty rate was 16.9% as of 2024, above the national average of 12.5%, so for many families the price of a lift is a real question. No single program here names stair lifts as a covered item, and two specifically do not cover them. That still leaves several routes worth checking.
The Maryland Assistive Technology Loan Program offers home modification loans up to $20,000 at below-market fixed rates. USDA Section 504 loans and grants serve very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural parts of the county. Medicaid's Community First Choice lists accessibility adaptations among its services, decided through an individual plan.
Locally, the Allegany County HRDC AAA is at 125 Virginia Avenue, Cumberland 21502, phone (301) 777-5970. Veterans can visit the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs – Cumberland Service Office at 12501 Willowbrook Road, Room 2-014, Cumberland 21502, or call (301) 759-5251. Statewide, you can also ask about Accessible Homes for Seniors.
The county covers about 430 square miles of Ridge-and-Valley country, with the steep Allegheny Front in the west. Homes in places like Barton, Midland or Corriganville can be a longer drive from installers and contractors based around Cumberland and La Vale.
It helps to have the stair measured once, carefully, so the rail is right the first time. Ask when you call how scheduling works for your town.
A lifetime VA grant of up to $6,800 for service-connected disabilities or $2,000 for other eligible disabilities, for medically necessary structural changes. It does not cover stair lifts; the VA excludes stair glides and porch lifts as removable equipment. Call (800) 827-1000.
Grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or adapt a home: SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 lifetime (FY2026). The source does not list stair lifts by name, so ask the VA at (800) 827-1000 whether one fits an approved plan.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed for 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, in USDA-eligible rural areas with very low income. Stair lifts are not listed by name; call (800) 414-1226 to check your address and project.
A Medicaid option for full Medicaid enrollees who need an institutional level of care and live in the community, with no age limit. Accessibility adaptations and assistive technology are covered services, but stair lifts are not named; call (410) 767-1739.
A Medicaid waiver for residents who meet nursing-facility level of care and want to stay in the community. Home modifications are not among its covered services, so it does not pay for a stair lift. Questions go to (410) 767-1739.
Below-market fixed-rate loans for Maryland residents with a disability, including home modification loans up to $20,000 and standard assistive technology loans of $500-$10,000. Stair lifts are not named, so confirm eligibility at (800) 832-4827.
The county's aging and disability resource center, offering information and referral, senior centers, guardianship, RSVP, grocery help and a Weatherization Assistance Program. It does not list a stair lift grant, but it can point you to options; call (844) 627-5465.
Older adults
125 Virginia Avenue, Cumberland, 21502
Veterans
12501 Willowbrook Road, Room 2-014, Cumberland, 21502
Not through the HISA grant, which specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way, so a veteran with a qualifying severe service-connected disability should ask the VA at (800) 827-1000 or the Cumberland Service Office at (301) 759-5251.
The USDA Section 504 grant requires age 62 or older, but the USDA loan does not carry that grant age rule. Medicaid Community First Choice has no age limit, and the Maryland Assistive Technology Loan Program is open to any Maryland resident with a disability.
Often, yes. On steep lots where a ramp would be long or impossible to fit, an outdoor stair lift on the entry steps or a platform lift is a common choice. We look at the grade, the steps and the path to the door before recommending one.
No. Turning or winding stairs, common in Cumberland's older homes, take a curved stair lift with a rail made for that specific staircase. A straight lift only fits a single run with no turns.
The Allegany County HRDC AAA is at 125 Virginia Avenue in Cumberland, phone (301) 777-5970. Maryland Access Point can also be reached at (844) 627-5465.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
