Kidder County stretches across 1,432.81 square miles of hilly Missouri Coteau country, with lakes and ponds scattered between Steele and Tappen. Out here, a lot of people live on family land in older farmhouses, and many of those houses have a raised front entry, a set of basement stairs, or a split floor plan that gets harder to manage every year.
This page walks through what those homes mean for a stair lift, which kind tends to fit, and where Kidder County families can look for help paying for one. With only about 1.77 people per square mile, planning ahead matters, because installers, home health workers and medical transport all have long drives to reach you.
The 2020 census counted 1,631 housing units in the county, and 80.6% of occupied units were lived in by their owners. Most are single-family homes and detached houses, with ranch-style homes, split-level homes and a few walk-up apartments mixed in.
A ranch-style home often looks stair-free until you count the steps down to the basement, where the laundry, freezer or furnace usually sits. A straight stair lift on that basement run is one of the most common installs we see in this kind of house.
Split-level homes are different. Short runs of stairs connect each level, and sometimes a landing turns partway up. A turn or landing usually calls for a curved stair lift built to the shape of your staircase, while a single straight flight can take a standard rail.
Older farmhouses in this part of North Dakota commonly sit up off the ground, with steps leading to the main door. When the outside steps are the real problem, an outdoor stair lift built for weather, or a vertical platform lift at the entry, may make more sense than a lift inside.
Distance changes how you plan. The county seat is Steele, and much of the county is open farm and lake country, so it helps to have one thorough visit where we measure every staircase and entry at once. That way the right rail or platform arrives the first time.
Keep in mind that the land slopes and rolls, climbing to 2,064 feet near the northwestern corner. Driveways and yards on that kind of ground can affect where an outdoor lift or platform should go, so we look at the whole approach to the door, not just the steps.
About 29.0% of Kidder County residents are 65 or older, which is a high share. The economy centers on agriculture, and many people want to stay on their own land rather than move to town or out of the county.
If that includes someone in your family, the Kidder County Veterans Service Office in Steele is a good first call, at (701) 475-4549, 2393 39th St SE, Steele, ND 58482.
Few programs promise to pay for a stair lift outright, and most sources do not mention stair lifts by name. The clearest exception is Adaptive Equipment Services at the ND Life Skills and Transition Center, whose donation list includes stair lifts. Inventory changes, so call before counting on a loaner.
For Medicaid-based help, start with the Aging and Disability Resource Link at (855) 462-5465 or the South Country Human Service Zone, which serves Kidder County and lists a location in Steele. Ask directly whether a home-modification benefit could apply in your situation. Statewide programs such as Service Payments for the Elderly and Disabled (SPED / Ex-SPED) and North Dakota Medicaid State Plan Personal Care run through these same offices.
Veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities can ask the VA about Specially Adapted Housing and Special Home Adaptation grants, and about VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics). Homeowners on a tight budget may also look into the North Dakota Homestead Property Tax Credit for Seniors and Disabled, which can free up money in the household budget. The Aging Services Division in Bismarck can be reached at (701) 328-8910.
Federal grants for veterans and service members with qualifying service-connected disabilities to adapt a home they own or plan to own, with FY2026 caps of up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA on a permanent home. Stair lifts are not named on the program page, so confirm coverage with a VA housing adaptation specialist at (800) 827-1000.
A state program based in Grafton that loans equipment free of charge and builds custom equipment on a sliding fee scale for North Dakota residents with disabilities of all ages, and its donation list includes stair lifts. Loaner availability is not guaranteed, so call (701) 352-4545 to check inventory for Kidder County delivery.
The statewide entry point that screens older adults and adults with physical disabilities into programs such as the HCBS Medicaid waiver, SPED, the Basic Care Assistance Program and Money Follows the Person. Stair lifts are not listed, so ask the intake specialist at (855) 462-5465 whether an in-home modification benefit applies.
The local office where Kidder County residents apply for Medicaid, HCBS waiver services and SPED, with a host office in Linton and a Kidder County location in Steele. Stair lifts are not listed; call (701) 254-4502 to confirm office hours and ask about home-modification options.
A nonprofit offering device demonstrations, short-term equipment loans and a device-reuse program for North Dakota residents with disabilities of all ages. Its site does not say stair lifts are in stock, so call (800) 895-4728 to check.
A rehabilitation mortgage loan, not a grant, for low-to-moderate income households buying or refinancing and fixing up a single-family home, offered through participating lenders. The page does not mention accessibility changes or stair lifts; call (701) 328-8080 with questions.
Federal housing rehab money for very low and low-income households, available only when a nearby community has an approved CDBG housing rehab grant. Stair lifts are not listed, so call (701) 328-2676 to ask about eligibility and whether any community near Kidder County has an active award.
A nonprofit offering information and referral, advocacy, peer support and independent-living skills training from offices in Bismarck and Dickinson. It does not list stair lift or home-modification services or confirm it serves Kidder County, so call (701) 222-3636 to ask about referrals.
Older adults
600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 325, Bismarck, 58505
Veterans
2393 39th St SE, Steele, 58482
Yes. Adaptive Equipment Services at the ND Life Skills and Transition Center includes stair lifts on its equipment donation list. Loaned equipment is free, but a loaner stair lift is not always available, so call (701) 352-4545 to ask about current inventory.
The sources here do not promise it. Call the Aging and Disability Resource Link at (855) 462-5465 or the South Country Human Service Zone at (701) 254-4502, get screened, and ask directly whether an in-home modification benefit applies to you.
The Kidder County Veterans Service Office is at 2393 39th St SE in Steele, phone (701) 475-4549. They can help with VA programs such as the SAH and SHA grants, which do not name stair lifts, so coverage should be confirmed with the VA at (800) 827-1000.
Often, yes. Basement stairs in ranch-style homes are usually a single straight run, which is the simplest kind of stair lift to fit. If the laundry or freezer is down there, a lift can keep that space usable.
A staircase that turns at a landing usually needs a curved stair lift with a rail made to match your stairs. Split-level homes with separate short straight flights may be able to use straight rails on each run instead.
The NDHFA Major Home Improvement Program is a rehabilitation mortgage loan that must be repaid, offered through participating lenders to low-to-moderate income households. It does not mention accessibility changes specifically, so call (701) 328-8080 to ask.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
