Fairmont's older neighborhoods along Sisseton, Hall, Budd, George and Amber lakes are full of multi-story houses that still have their original interior stairways. Out in Sherburn, Trimont, Truman, Ceylon, Welcome, Granada and Northrop, the story is much the same: single-family homes built over the 20th century, many with a bedroom or bathroom up a flight of stairs.
This page walks through how those homes tend to work for a stair lift, what the rural spread of the county means for scheduling and service, and which programs in Martin County and Minnesota may help with the cost. It is written for older homeowners and for the sons and daughters helping them decide.
Most houses here are single-family or detached homes, and those original interior stairways in Fairmont's lake neighborhoods are a common candidate for a retrofit. A single straight run of stairs is usually the simplest and most affordable kind of stair lift to fit, because the rail comes in standard lengths.
Split-level homes are different. They often have short flights that change direction or stop at a landing, which can call for a curved rail built to the exact shape of your stairs. Townhouses usually have a straight interior staircase, but the width and any turn at the top still need to be measured in person.
Walk-up apartments raise their own question: the stairs may be shared, so the building owner has to agree before anything goes in. Newer single-story houses in Fairmont's later subdivisions may not need a stair lift at all, though a short set of entry steps can still be a problem.
Martin County is low rolling farmland dotted with roughly 60 named lakes and ponds, and the terrain is modest overall. That means the hard part is rarely the land itself. It is usually the porch steps, the deck, or the stairs down to a walkout level facing the water.
For those spots, an outdoor stair lift built for exterior use is one option. For someone who uses a wheelchair, a vertical platform lift that carries the chair and the rider together is often the better fit, since a seated stair lift still requires a transfer at the top and bottom.
About 58.1% of Martin County residents live in rural areas, and the county covers 730 square miles. That spread affects how quickly contractors and aging services can reach a farmhouse near Granada or Northrop compared with a home in town.
It is worth asking any installer up front how service calls and repairs work for your part of the county. A stair lift is only useful if someone can come fix it when it needs attention.
Martin County skews older than Minnesota as a whole. About 23.5% of residents are 65 or older, and 68.7% own their homes, so many families are weighing whether to adapt the house they already have rather than move.
If that includes your parent, the Martin County Veterans Service Office in Fairmont at (507) 238-3220 can explain which VA benefits apply.
Minnesota's Elderly Waiver and its Environmental Accessibility Adaptations service are the clearest public routes, since both cover home modifications for people who qualify through Medical Assistance. The Senior LinkAge Line at (800) 333-2433 is the place to start that process.
For homeowners who are not on Medical Assistance, the USDA Section 504 program and the Minnesota Valley Action Council loans list accessibility improvements as an eligible use, though stair lifts are not named specifically. Veterans should know the VA HISA grant excludes stair glides. Each program is summarized below.
A Medicaid home and community-based waiver for people 65 and older who are on Medical Assistance and assessed as needing a nursing-facility level of care; home modifications are an explicit covered benefit. The 2026 limits for a single applicant are about $2,982 a month in income and $3,000 in assets; call the Senior LinkAge Line at (800) 333-2433.
The waiver service that pays for home modification assessment and installation for people enrolled in an HCBS waiver such as Elderly Waiver, CADI or CAC. It requires an assessment and authorization, and larger jobs go through a competitive bid; call (800) 333-2433.
The designated area agency on aging for Martin County, offering information, options counseling and referral to funded services, including waiver home-modification benefits, rather than a direct grant. Stair lifts are not listed; call (507) 387-1256.
Repair loans up to $40,000 at a fixed 1% rate over 20 years, plus grants up to $10,000 for very low income homeowners age 62 and older in eligible rural areas. Accessibility modifications are an eligible use, but stair lifts are not named on the source.
A VA grant for medically necessary home alterations, with a $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime maximum depending on disability status. It does not cover stair lifts, as stair glides are listed as excluded equipment; the VA line is (800) 827-1000.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026. Stair lifts are not listed on the source; call (877) 827-3702.
A nonprofit with an office at 301 Downtown Plaza in Fairmont that serves people of all ages with any disability through advocacy, skills training, and assistive technology and ramp help. Stair lifts are not listed; call (507) 235-3488.
RLP/ELP offers a deferred, interest-free loan up to $37,500 that is forgiven if you stay for the full term, and the Fix Up Loan runs from $2,000 to $75,000; accessibility improvements are an eligible use, though stair lifts are not named. Call the Fairmont office at (507) 238-1663.
Older adults
10 Civic Center Plaza, Suite 3, Mankato, 56001
Veterans
2423 Albion Ave, Suite 11, Fairmont, 56031
Original interior stairways in those older lake neighborhoods are a common candidate for stair lift retrofits. A straight run is the simplest fit, while stairs with a turn or landing usually need a curved rail measured to the home.
The Elderly Waiver lists home modifications as a covered benefit, funded through the Environmental Accessibility Adaptations service. You must be 65 or older, on Medical Assistance and assessed as needing a nursing-facility level of care. Start with the Senior LinkAge Line at (800) 333-2433.
The USDA Section 504 program offers 1% repair loans and, for very low income homeowners 62 and older, grants up to $10,000. Minnesota Valley Action Council in Fairmont, at (507) 238-1663, offers loans where accessibility improvements are an eligible use. Neither source names stair lifts specifically, so ask before you apply.
The HISA grant does not, because stair glides are excluded. The SAH and SHA grants do not list stair lifts either way. The Martin County Veterans Service Office at (507) 238-3220 can review your situation.
The Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging serves Martin County with information and referral; its Mankato office is at (507) 389-8879 and MNRAAA can also be reached at (507) 387-1256. For disability services, the SMILES Center for Independent Living has an office in Fairmont at (507) 235-3488.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
