From the restored First Street Historic District on the Green Bay waterfront in Menominee to the smaller towns of Stephenson, Hermansville, Powers and Daggett, Menominee County is mostly rural country. About 63.2% of residents live in rural areas, and many of the homes here have been owned by the same families for a long time.
That older Upper Peninsula housing tends to be one or two stories, often with a staircase up to bedrooms or down to a basement. For someone who wants to stay in that house rather than move, a stair lift is often the simplest fix. This page covers what kind of lift fits local homes and where to ask about help paying for one.
Most single-family homes in the county have one straight staircase, which is the easiest and quickest case for a stair lift. A straight rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so plaster walls in an older house are not a problem.
Split-level homes are different. They usually have short flights with a landing or turn between levels, which can call for a curved rail or two separate straight lifts. We measure each run before recommending either.
Basement stairs in older houses can be narrow or steep. That does not rule out a lift, but it does affect which models fit, so it is worth checking during a home visit.
Townhouses often have a straight interior staircase that suits a standard lift. If you own the unit, the decision is usually yours, though an association may have rules about outside work.
In walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings, the stairs are often shared space. A renter or condo owner should talk with the building owner or board first, since a lift in a common stairwell needs their approval.
Menominee averages around 27°F in January, and snow and ice turn front steps into a hazard. For many people here the outside stairs are as much of a problem as the inside ones.
Outdoor stair lifts are built to handle weather on porch or deck steps. Where a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift or a ramp may make more sense than a seat lift, and that is something to sort out before winter sets in.
Out of a population of 10,504, about 24.8% of residents are 65 or older, and 69.2% own their homes. That is a lot of people aging in houses they plan to keep.
Veteran Services in Menominee, at 1002 9th Street, can be reached at (906) 863-5691 to ask which VA benefits apply.
No program listed below names stair lifts outright as a covered item, and one VA benefit excludes stair glides. Several do cover home modifications or accessibility work in general, so it is worth asking.
The best first call is MI Options through UPCAP at (800) 803-7174, or 2-1-1. A counselor can screen you and point you toward MI Choice, a USDA Section 504 loan or grant, or other home-modification funding. UPCAP AAA's office in Escanaba is also at (906) 786-4701.
Statewide options to ask about include the MSHDA Property Improvement Program (PIP) and MI Coordinated Health (formerly MI Health Link).
A Medicaid waiver that funds an individualized home-care plan for people 65+, or 18+ and blind or disabled, who meet nursing facility level of care. It lists home modifications for accessibility but does not mention stair lifts specifically; screening starts at (800) 803-7174.
A free counselor-led screening and referral service for older adults and adults with disabilities in all 15 Upper Peninsula counties. It covers home modifications as a topic but does not mention stair lifts; call (800) 803-7174.
Loans up to $40,000 at a fixed 1% rate over 20 years, and grants up to a $10,000 lifetime maximum for very-low-income homeowners age 62+ who cannot repay a loan. Accessibility installations such as ramps and grab bars qualify, but stair lifts are not mentioned by name.
A VA benefit of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically needed home accessibility changes. It explicitly excludes stair glides, so it will not pay for a stair lift.
VA grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, with FY2026 caps of up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA. Covered work is described as things like ramps or wider doorways; stair lifts are not mentioned.
A community action agency ramp program serving a tri-county area that includes Menominee County. Stair lifts are not mentioned, and eligibility details should be confirmed by calling (906) 786-7080.
A fee-for-service accessibility program from the only Center for Independent Living in the Upper Peninsula, aimed mainly at businesses and organizations. Stair lifts are not mentioned; call (906) 228-5744 to ask about referrals to home-modification funding.
Older adults
P.O. Box 606, 2501 14th Ave. South, Escanaba, 49829
Veterans
1002 9th Street, Menominee, 49858-3000
Start with MI Options through UPCAP at (800) 803-7174, or dial 2-1-1. A counselor can screen you and refer you to MI Choice, USDA Section 504 or other home-modification funding.
MI Choice is open to adults 18+ who are blind or disabled and meet nursing facility level of care and Medicaid financial rules. USDA Section 504 loans are not tied to age, though the grant portion requires age 62+.
The HISA benefit explicitly excludes stair glides. SAH and SHA grants cover home adaptations for veterans with qualifying severe disabilities, but stair lifts are not named, so ask Veteran Services in Menominee at (906) 863-5691.
Often, yes. Split-levels usually have short flights with landings, which may need a curved rail or two straight lifts, and a home visit will show which fits.
Outdoor stair lifts are built for porch and deck steps in cold weather. If a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift or ramp may be the better choice.
MI Choice lists home modifications for accessibility as an eligible service, but it does not name stair lifts. Whether one is approved depends on your individual care plan.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
