Salisbury, the Rowan County seat, is described as the oldest continuously populated European-American town in the western half of North Carolina, and its older multi-story houses show it. Interior staircases are a normal part of life in and around the historic core, which makes the question of a stair lift a practical one for many families there.
Beyond Salisbury, towns like China Grove, Landis, Spencer, Granite Quarry, Rockwell, Faith, Cleveland and Gold Hill mix older homes with newer single-story construction. This page walks through what Rowan County's homes mean for stair lift choices and which programs are worth a phone call when it comes to paying.
Multi-story historic homes are concentrated in and around Salisbury, and that is where stair lift retrofits come up most often. These houses tend to have one main staircase between the living floor and the bedrooms upstairs.
If that staircase runs in a single straight line, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit. If it turns at a landing or curves, a curved rail built to the shape of the stairs is the usual answer. We measure the run, the width and the landings before recommending either.
Rowan County's housing also includes split-level homes, townhouses and walk-up apartments. A split-level often has several short flights instead of one long one, so the question is which flight matters most for daily living and whether one lift or more makes sense.
Townhouses stack living space over two or more floors, which puts the stairs at the center of the day. Walk-up apartments raise a different question, since the stairs may be shared or outside, and an outdoor or platform lift may need the building owner's approval first.
Not every home in the county needs a stair lift. Many of the small towns have ranch-style single-story homes, where the steps that matter are often the few at the front or back door. For those, an outdoor lift or a platform lift is worth talking through.
The county covers about 524 square miles of North Carolina's Piedmont, with the Yadkin River along its eastern border. As of the 2020 census, 42.2% of residents lived in rural areas, so many older adults live well away from Salisbury. That distance matters when you are lining up assessments, case managers and installers.
As of the 2020 census, Rowan County had 146,875 residents, and 18.3% were age 65 or older. That is close to one in five people at an age where stairs start to become a concern.
Of the county's 63,200 housing units, 68.6% were owner-occupied, which matters because several funding programs require you to own the home.
The county's economy was built on textile manufacturing for about a century, and household incomes have stayed moderate, with a median family income of $44,242 in the most recent detailed census figure. That makes outside funding worth looking into before paying out of pocket.
Be aware that coverage varies. Some programs below cover home modifications in general without naming stair lifts, and the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The program list below spells out what each source says.
For local help, Rowan County Veterans Services is at 1955 Jake Alexander Boulevard W in Salisbury, (704) 216-8138. The Region F Centralina Regional Council AAA office is at 9815 David Taylor Drive, Suite 100, in Charlotte, (704) 348-2712.
A Medicaid waiver for adults 18 and older who need a nursing-facility level of care, with an Equipment, Modification and Technology budget raised from $13,000 to $28,000 over the 2024 to 2029 waiver period; stair lifts are not named specifically, though home modifications generally fall in this category. Call (919) 855-4340.
The Area Agency on Aging for nine counties including Rowan, offering information, referral and options counseling; its home repair and modification service is currently offered only in Cabarrus County, so it does not pay for stair lifts in Rowan. Call (704) 372-2416.
Repair loans up to $20,000 at 1% for 20 years, and grants up to $7,500 for owners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, for very-low-income homeowners in USDA-eligible rural areas; stair lifts are not specifically listed. A general NC state office number is (919) 873-2000.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability status, for permanent structural changes like fixed ramps and widened doorways; it explicitly does not cover stair glides. Rowan County Veterans Services at (704) 216-8138 can help with VA questions.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026, used to build, buy or remodel a home for accessibility; stair lifts are not specifically listed.
Older adults
9815 David Taylor Drive, Suite 100, Charlotte, 28262
Veterans
1955 Jake Alexander Boulevard W, Salisbury, 28147
Usually, yes. Straight staircases take a straight rail, and stairs that turn or curve take a curved rail made for that staircase. An in-home measurement settles which one fits.
The HISA grant does not, since it excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants fund accessibility remodeling but do not specifically name stair lifts, so ask Rowan County Veterans Services at (704) 216-8138 how they apply to your situation.
The CAP/DA waiver has an Equipment, Modification and Technology budget of up to $28,000 over the waiver period. Stair lifts are not named specifically, but home modifications generally fall in that category. Call (919) 855-4340.
The USDA Section 504 program offers grants up to $7,500 for homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, if they are very low income and live in an eligible rural area. Check your Rowan County address with the USDA eligibility map first.
Not in Rowan County. Its home repair and modification service is currently offered only in Cabarrus County. It can still help with referrals and options counseling at (704) 372-2416.
Possibly not inside the house. If the problem is the steps at the entry, an outdoor or platform lift may be the better fit to discuss.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
