Hillsborough County runs from the old mill-city cores of Manchester and Nashua, built around the Amoskeag Manufacturing textile mills, out to small historic town centers like Peterborough, Hancock and Wilton. In between sit the suburban subdivisions of towns such as Bedford, Merrimack, Hudson and Amherst. Each of those places tends to have its own kind of staircase, and that shapes which stair lift will work.
Many triple-deckers and colonial or farmhouse-era homes here have narrow, steep staircases with more than one flight, built long before accessibility codes existed. Add icy, snowy winters on front steps, and getting up and down safely becomes a real daily question. This page walks through what fits local homes and where to look for help paying.
In Manchester and Nashua, the triple-decker is a common sight. Its stairs are often tight and steep and climb through several flights with landings. A straight lift handles one uninterrupted run, while stairs that turn at a landing usually call for a curved lift built to that specific staircase.
Colonial and farmhouse-era homes in town centers such as Milford, Goffstown or Hillsborough can have similar narrow stairs. Before recommending anything, we measure the width, the pitch and every turn, because older stairs are rarely standard.
Commuter towns like Bedford, Merrimack, Hudson, Pelham and Litchfield have many 20th-century single-family homes and split-level homes. Split-levels usually have short flights between floors, and a straight lift on each short run can be a simple fix.
Townhouses often have one straight staircase between floors, which is the most common straight-lift setup. Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings are trickier, since shared stairwells and building rules come into play.
The county sits in the Merrimack Valley and rises to Pack Monadnock Mountain (2,290 ft) in the rural southwest, around towns like Temple, Greenville and New Ipswich. Homes on sloped lots often have long sets of exterior steps.
Icy, snowy winters add fall risk on those steps as well as on interior stairs. An outdoor stair lift built for weather, or a platform lift for someone who uses a wheelchair, can make the trip from driveway to door safer.
About 16.8% of county residents are 65 or older, and 68.7% of households own their home. Owners can generally choose and install a lift without asking anyone, which makes aging in place more practical.
VA housing grants have strict rules, so the programs below spell out what each one does and does not say about stair lifts.
No single program here simply pays for stair lifts across the board. The clearest local path is Granite State Independent Living, whose Home Access Modification Program lists stair lifts among the modifications it helps arrange and helps find funding sources.
Other options depend on your situation: Medicaid's Choices for Independence waiver for people who need nursing-home level care, USDA Section 504 help for very-low-income owners in eligible rural areas, and VA grants for certain service-connected disabilities. If you are unsure where to start, ServiceLink is a free referral line for any age or income.
A Medicaid waiver for adults 18+ who meet Nursing Facility Level of Care; it funds services including medical equipment and home modifications, but stair lifts are not specifically named. The 2026 income limit is $2,982/month for a single applicant, enrollment is capped, and you can call (603) 271-9203.
A free statewide information and referral service open to residents of any age, income or ability, including family caregivers; it does not fund stair lifts itself but helps you find programs that might. Call (866) 634-9412.
New Hampshire's Center for Independent Living helps residents with disabilities of any age plan home access changes, and stair lifts are explicitly listed. Staff help identify funding and coordinate licensed vendors; call (603) 228-9680.
Very-low-income homeowners in USDA-eligible rural areas can get loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest, and owners 62+ may get grants up to $10,000 to remove health and safety hazards; stair lifts are not specifically named. Call the Concord area office at (603) 223-6035 to check your address.
This VA grant pays for medically necessary structural changes, up to a $6,800 lifetime maximum for the service-connected tier. It explicitly excludes stair glides, so it does not cover stair lifts.
Provides up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home. The VA lists ramps and wider doorways as examples but does not mention stair lifts.
A smaller companion grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands. Stair lifts are not listed among covered changes.
An energy-efficiency program for income-eligible households in Hillsborough and Rockingham counties, and CAPHR also runs a Senior Housing program line. Stair lifts are not mentioned, but it can be a local referral point at (603) 668-8010.
Older adults
129 Pleasant Street, Concord, 03301
Veterans
275 Chestnut St, Norris Cotton Federal Building, Manchester, 03101
Often, yes. Narrow, steep stairs with several flights are common in these homes, so we measure each run and landing. A straight lift works on an unbroken flight, and stairs that turn usually need a curved lift.
Not through the HISA grant, which specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either. For questions about your benefits, the Manchester VA Regional Benefit Office is at (800) 827-1000.
Granite State Independent Living's Home Access Modification Program explicitly lists stair lifts. It serves New Hampshire residents with disabilities of any age and helps find funding. Call (603) 228-9680.
USDA Section 504 grants of up to $10,000 are available to very-low-income homeowners age 62+ in eligible rural areas, for removing health and safety hazards. Many county towns qualify, but the urban cores of Manchester and Nashua likely do not. Check your address with the Concord office at (603) 223-6035.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts and platform lifts are options for exterior steps. With the snowy, icy winters here, many families look at the outside stairs as well as the inside ones.
ServiceLink, the state's free information and referral line, is open to any age or income and to family caregivers. Call (866) 634-9412 to talk through which programs might fit.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
