Perquimans County goes back to 1679, when it was set up as Berkeley Precinct of Albemarle County. Hertford, the county seat on the Perquimans River, was incorporated in 1758 under its old name of Phelps Point. Around it sit smaller places like Winfall, Belvidere, Durants Neck, Chapanoke and Snug Harbor, with farmhouses spread along the county roads between them.
That history shows up on the stairs. Many homes here are older two-story farmhouse-style houses with their original stairways, and those stairs are often the first thing that gets hard as people get older. This page covers what those homes mean for a stair lift and which local and federal programs may help with the cost.
Two-story farmhouses built from the 18th to the 20th century often kept their original stairs. When a staircase runs in one straight line from bottom to top, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit, since the rail mounts to the stair treads rather than the wall.
If the stairs turn at a landing or wind around a corner, a curved lift with a rail built to that staircase is the usual answer. We measure every turn on site before recommending one, because older stairways are rarely identical from house to house.
Single-story ranch-style homes and newer rural and waterfront houses may not need an indoor lift at all. In those homes the question is usually the steps at the front or back door.
The county sits in North Carolina's flat Coastal Plain along the Albemarle Sound, with roughly 100 miles of shoreline and the Perquimans and Little rivers crossing it. About 24.9% of the county's total area is water.
Flat ground means fewer hills to fight outside, but porch and deck steps are still a barrier. An outdoor stair lift built for weather exposure can handle a run of exterior steps. For someone who uses a wheelchair, a platform lift is the option to talk through, since it carries the chair rather than a seat.
The 2020 census recorded a median age of 50.7 in Perquimans County, with 27.3% of residents age 65 or older. That is a lot of households thinking about whether they can keep living in the home they have.
The county covers 328.93 square miles, and homes are scattered along county roads rather than packed into towns. Aging and home repair programs can take longer to reach people out here, so it helps to start the paperwork early, before a fall forces the decision.
Median household income in the county is around $67,900, and the local tax base is modest, so outside help matters. None of the programs below name stair lifts by name, and one, the VA HISA grant, rules them out. Several do cover accessibility modifications, which is where a stair lift request would fit.
For homeowners with lower incomes, the Albemarle Commission's Urgent Repair Program and ESFR Loan Pool are the most local options. Both are handled by the Commission's Community Development office at (252) 426-5753. Adults who qualify for nursing-facility level care may look at NC Medicaid CAP/DA, which lists equipment, modification and technology as a covered category.
The state also offers the Elderly or Disabled Property Tax Homestead Exclusion (G.S. 105-277.1). It does not pay for equipment, but lowering a property tax bill can free up money in a tight budget.
Perquimans County Veteran Services works out of the Center for Active Living at 1072 Harvey Point Road in Hertford. You can reach them at (252) 426-1796 or (757) 408-3648.
Be aware that the VA HISA grant will not pay for stair glides, porch lifts or portable ramps. The SAH and SHA grants are for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities, and while they do not name stair lifts, the veteran services office can help you sort out what applies to your case.
A Medicaid waiver for adults 18 and older who meet nursing-facility level of care, with a 2026 income limit of $1,732/month and an asset limit of $31,175 for a single applicant. It lists equipment, modification and technology as a covered category with amounts set case by case, but stair lifts are not named; call (888) 245-0179.
The local intake point for aging services for adults 60 and older in the ten-county region that includes Perquimans, covering things like in-home aide, home-delivered meals and caregiver support. It is not a stair lift grant and home modification is not listed among its services, but it can refer you; call (252) 426-8244.
An interest-free deferred loan of up to $12,000 per household, forgiven at $3,000 a year, for very-low and low-income homeowners who are elderly or disabled, and it covers accessibility modifications needed to prevent displacement. Stair lifts are not named; applications are taken the 1st through the 15th of the month at (252) 426-5753.
A forgivable loan secured by a lien for owner-occupied homes with incomes under 80% of the statewide median and an elderly, disabled or veteran household member, served county by county on a rotating three-year basis. It covers essential repairs and accessibility-related improvements but does not name stair lifts; call (252) 426-5753.
Repair loans up to $40,000 and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas, with grants limited to those age 62 and older who cannot repay a loan. Ramps, grab bars and walk-in tubs are listed as approved repairs, stair lifts are not named, and you must confirm your address through USDA's Property Eligibility Tool.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 for service-connected disabilities or $2,000 for other disabilities, for medically necessary home changes. It does not cover stair lifts, since it excludes stair glides and porch lifts; Perquimans County Veteran Services is at (252) 426-1796.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for FY2026 for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities who own or plan to own the home. Ramps and doorway widening are examples of covered work, stair lifts are not named; call (800) 827-1000.
Older adults
512 S. Church St., Hertford, 27944
Veterans
1072 Harvey Point Road, Hertford, 27944
Not through the HISA grant, which excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts, so call Perquimans County Veteran Services at (252) 426-1796 to ask what may apply to your situation.
The Area Agency on Aging serves adults 60 and older, but NC Medicaid CAP/DA is open to adults 18 and older who meet nursing-facility level of care. The Urgent Repair Program also accepts disabled homeowners, not only elderly ones.
The Albemarle Commission takes applications from the 1st to the 15th of the month. You must own the home and show proof of ownership. Call (252) 426-5753.
Eligibility is checked address by address through USDA's Property Eligibility Tool, which looks at rural areas generally under 35,000 people. Check your address there before you apply.
Region R - Albemarle Commission AAA is at 512 S. Church St., Hertford, NC 27944. The main number is (252) 426-5753, and the aging program contact is (252) 426-8244.
Not indoors, but ranch-style and waterfront homes often have porch or deck steps. An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can handle those, depending on whether the person uses a seat or a wheelchair.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
