Burke County sits where the Piedmont climbs into the Blue Ridge foothills, and its homes show it. Old farmhouses and estate houses like Bellevue, Creekside and Quaker Meadows, mill village housing such as the Henry River Mill Village Historic District, and older streets in Morganton and nearby towns all sit on land that rarely stays flat for long.
Across the county's 10 towns, from Valdese and Glen Alpine to Connelly Springs, Hildebran and Rhodhiss, we see the same pattern: the bedroom is upstairs, the staircase is narrow and steep, and the front steps climb a slope. This page walks through what that means for a stair lift and where Burke County families can look for help paying for one.
Burke County's building stock spans roughly 150+ years. Many of the older two-story farmhouses and mill-era homes were built with narrow, steep interior staircases and no first-floor primary bedroom. For a parent who wants to keep sleeping in their own room, that staircase becomes the whole problem.
A straight staircase with no turns is usually the simplest case for a straight stair lift. Narrow treads and steep pitch are the details we measure first, because they decide how the rail mounts and whether the chair can fold out of the way for others using the stairs.
If the stairs turn at a landing or wind near the top, as older houses often do, a curved stair lift built to that staircase is the usual answer.
Not every home here is a farmhouse. The county also has split-level homes, ranch-style homes, townhouses and walk-up apartments, and each one calls for a different look.
Split-level homes have short flights between levels, and sometimes more than one flight matters for daily life. Ranch-style homes may have no interior stairs at all, but a basement stair or the front steps can still be the barrier. Townhouses tend to stack bedrooms above living space, which puts a full flight between the kitchen and the bed. In walk-up apartments, the stairs are often shared, so the building owner has to be part of the conversation.
The terrain around South Mountains State Park, Lake James and the far northwestern corner near Linville Gorge and Linville Falls means many homes sit on sloped lots. Multi-level layouts and long or steep entry stairs are common, and they raise the risk of a fall compared with homes in flat counties.
When the hard part is getting from the driveway to the door, an outdoor stair lift built for weather exposure can be the right fit. Where a wheelchair user needs to get up a few steps, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat. We look at the full route from car to bed before suggesting anything.
About 20.4% of residents are 65 or older, and 62.3% are homeowners, so many people here are aging in houses they own and want to stay in. Owning the home also matters for several of the repair and modification programs below, which require an owner-occupied residence.
If that includes you or your parent, start with the Burke County Veterans Service Office at 501 N Green Street in Morganton, (828) 439-4376, before assuming VA money will or will not apply.
Burke County's economy rests on manufacturing, education and tourism, and many rural seniors rely on public and nonprofit funding rather than paying out of pocket for home changes. Several programs can help, but only one of them names stair lifts outright.
The NC Innovations Waiver lists stair lifts as a home modification, but it is for people with an intellectual or developmental disability or a qualifying brain injury. Medicaid's CAP/DA waiver, the Urgent Repair Program and USDA Section 504 all fund accessibility or modification work without naming stair lifts, so ask each one directly. For a starting point on aging services, the Region E - Western Piedmont Council of Governments AAA is at 1880 2nd Ave. NW in Hickory, (828) 485-4212.
Details on each program are listed below.
A NC Medicaid waiver for people with an intellectual or developmental disability, or a brain injury that occurred before age 22, that lists ramps and stair lifts as covered home modifications, with a $50,000 lifetime cap over the 5-year waiver period shared with assistive technology. Call Partners Health Management at (888) 235-4673.
A Medicaid waiver for adults 18 or older who need a nursing-facility level of care; it includes an equipment, modification and technology service, but the sources do not name stair lifts and items are approved case by case. Call (888) 245-0179.
Coordinates services for older adults (generally 60+) and caregivers, such as in-home aides, caregiver support and information and referral; it is not a cash grant and does not list stair lifts or home modifications. Call (828) 322-9191 to confirm your service area and what is offered.
An interest-free deferred loan, forgiven at $5,000 a year, for very low income homeowners that can pay for accessibility modifications, though stair lifts are not named; Burke County's latest shared allocation was $88,000, meant to help at least 7 homeowners, with priority for households with someone 62+, a disabled member or a veteran. Call (828) 485-4262.
Repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for very low income homeowners 62+ in eligible rural areas, with combined help up to $50,000; accessibility work is allowed but stair lifts are not named.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically necessary changes like entrance access and bathroom work; the VA states it will not pay for porch lifts or stair glides. Call the Burke County Veterans Service Office at (828) 439-4376.
Grants for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or modify a home, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; stair lifts are not named. Call the Burke County Veterans Service Office at (828) 439-4376.
Older adults
1880 2nd Ave. NW, Hickory, 28601
Veterans
501 N Green Street, Morganton, 28680
Often, yes. Many older two-story farmhouses and mill-era homes here have narrow, steep staircases, and we measure tread width and pitch first. A straight run usually takes a straight lift, and a staircase that turns needs a curved one.
The VA's HISA page says it will not pay for porch lifts or stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants fund home modifications for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities but do not name stair lifts. The Burke County Veterans Service Office in Morganton, (828) 439-4376, can review your situation.
The NC Innovations Waiver, run locally through Partners Health Management at (888) 235-4673, lists stair lifts as a home modification. It is limited to people with an intellectual or developmental disability or a brain injury that occurred before age 22.
Two programs give weight to that age. USDA Section 504 offers grants up to $10,000 for very low income homeowners 62+ in eligible rural areas, and the Urgent Repair Program gives priority to households with a member 62+. Neither names stair lifts, so ask whether your project qualifies.
Sloped lots and long entry stairs are common in the foothills here. An outdoor stair lift built for the weather can handle the steps, and a platform lift may suit a wheelchair user. We look at the whole path from the driveway to the bedroom.
The Region E - Western Piedmont Council of Governments AAA in Hickory, at (828) 485-4212, is a good first call for services for adults 60 and older and their caregivers.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
