From Mars Hill to Marshall to Hot Springs, Madison County homes tend to sit on steep, wooded mountain lots rather than flat in-town parcels. As of 2020 the county was counted as 100.0% rural, and that shows up in the houses: split-entry layouts, multi-level floor plans and exterior steps leading up from a driveway or down to a porch.
Those stairs are often the first thing that makes staying at home hard. This page walks through how local homes and terrain affect the kind of stair lift that fits, and which state, federal and local programs serving Madison County may help with the cost.
Madison County covers about 449.57 square miles of rugged, heavily forested land in the Appalachian Mountains, bordering Tennessee. The French Broad River runs past the county seat of Marshall and the resort town of Hot Springs. Building on slopes like these usually means a house steps down the hill in levels.
For a stair lift, that often means more than one set of stairs to solve. There may be an interior flight between living levels and a separate run of outdoor steps from the parking area to the door. We look at both on a home visit, because fixing only the inside stairs does not help much if the front steps are the real barrier.
Straight stair lifts fit a single, uninterrupted flight, which is common in many single-family homes, detached houses and townhouses. They are usually the simplest to install. If your staircase turns at a landing or curves, a curved lift with a custom-built rail is the usual answer.
Split-level homes are a special case. Each half-flight is short, so some owners need a lift on one short run, and others need two. Exterior steps on a sloped lot call for an outdoor-rated lift built to handle weather. Where stairs are too tight for a seat, or a wheelchair user needs to stay in the chair, a platform lift may be the better fit, including in some low-rise buildings.
The 2020 census counted 21,193 residents in Madison County with a median age of 45.9. About 23.5% were 65 or older, a notably older share than state and national averages. Among occupied housing units, 76.8% were owner-occupied.
Owning your home matters here, because most stair lifts attach to the stair treads and several funding programs require you to own the house. If you rent, talk to your landlord before planning an install.
No program on this list names stair lifts outright, so treat each one as worth a phone call rather than a sure thing. Several fund home modifications or accessibility improvements in general terms. NC Medicaid CAP/DA raised its modification, equipment and technology budget limit to $28,000 for the current waiver period, and the HCCBG home improvement program can provide up to $7,000 per individual per program year for people 60 and older.
Low-income homeowners can also look at USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants, which apply in Madison County, and at the Community Housing Coalition of Madison County. One program is a clear no: the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. North Carolina also offers the Elderly or Disabled Property Tax Homestead Exclusion (G.S. 105-277.1), which does not pay for a lift but can lower housing costs.
The Madison County Veterans Service Office is at 462 Long Branch Road in Marshall, and you can reach it at (828) 649-0767. Staff there can help a veteran sort out which VA housing grants apply.
The VA Specially Adapted Housing and Special Home Adaptation grants are aimed at veterans with severe service-connected disabilities. Neither names stair lifts, so ask the office how your situation fits before counting on either one.
A state Medicaid waiver for adults 18 and older who meet an institutional level of care, with a modification, equipment and technology budget limit raised from $13,000 to $28,000 for Nov. 1, 2024 through Oct. 31, 2029. Stair lifts are not named, so coverage depends on your assessment and plan of care; call (888) 245-0179.
A Medicaid waiver service for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities that pays for physical changes to make a home safer, such as wider doorways and ramps. Stair lifts are not listed by name; call (800) 962-9003.
Provides up to $7,000 per individual per program year for people 60 and older, including mobility and accessibility improvements and minor home repairs. Stair lifts are not itemized; call (800) 662-7030 and ask about your local county agency.
Offers very-low-income rural homeowners repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% for 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for applicants 62 and older to remove health and safety hazards. Stair lifts are not named; call (888) 796-0538.
A VA grant of $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically necessary structural changes such as bathroom and entrance access. It does not cover stair lifts, since the VA excludes stair glides and porch lifts.
Provides up to $126,526 (FY2026 maximum) to adapt a home for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, with ramps and wider doorways given as examples. Stair lifts are not listed by name.
Provides up to $25,350 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities, such as loss of use of both hands. Stair lifts are not named among covered adaptations.
Individualized services for people with significant disabilities who want to live independently instead of in a facility, with financial and medical criteria. The source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications; call (919) 855-3500.
A local nonprofit doing home repair for low-income Madison County homeowners, including porch step framing, handrails, decks and low-rise stairs. Stair lifts are not named; call (828) 649-1200.
A center for independent living serving Madison County and nearby counties, offering information, referral, skills training, peer support and advocacy regardless of income. It does not list stair lift funding; call (828) 298-1977.
The regional aging agency for Buncombe, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania counties, which refers older adults and caregivers to programs such as CAP/DA and HCCBG. It does not fund stair lifts directly; call (828) 251-6622.
Older adults
339 New Leicester Hwy, Suite 140, Asheville, 28806
Veterans
462 Long Branch Road, Marshall, 28753
Sometimes. Split-level homes have short half-flights, so a single lift may cover the one you use most, while a second lift may be needed if you move between all levels daily.
Yes, outdoor-rated stair lifts are built for exterior steps. On sloped mountain lots this is common, and a platform lift is another option if a wheelchair is involved.
Not through HISA, which excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either, so contact the Madison County Veterans Service Office at (828) 649-0767 to review your case.
The HCCBG program serves people 60 and older with up to $7,000 per program year for items including accessibility improvements. The Area Agency on Aging at Land of Sky Regional Council, (828) 251-6622, can point you to it.
The Community Housing Coalition of Madison County does porch step framing, handrails and low-rise stair work for low-income homeowners. Call (828) 649-1200 to ask about eligibility.
CAP/DA has a modification, equipment and technology budget of up to $28,000, but it does not name stair lifts. Coverage depends on your assessment and plan of care, so call (888) 245-0179.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
