Rockingham County holds all of New Hampshire's roughly 18-mile Atlantic coastline, plus 39 towns spread from Portsmouth and Hampton on the water to Derry, Raymond and Deerfield inland. The homes change as you drive west, from colonial- and federal-era houses near the coast to split-levels, ranch-style homes and townhouses in towns like Londonderry, Salem and Windham.
That range matters when you are thinking about a stair lift. A narrow staircase in an old Seacoast house and a short flight in a split-level call for different equipment. This page walks through what fits the homes here and which programs in New Hampshire may help with the cost.
Portsmouth and the other Seacoast towns have a significant amount of colonial- and federal-era housing. Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth preserves buildings from the 17th through 19th centuries, which gives a sense of how far back some of this housing goes.
Staircases in houses of that age often turn, wind or have a landing partway up. A straight rail will not follow that path, so these homes usually need a curved stair lift built to the exact shape of the stairs. We measure the staircase in person before recommending anything.
Across Derry, Londonderry, Salem, Exeter and the smaller towns, you will find single-family homes, detached houses, townhouses, split-level homes and ranch-style homes. Many of these have a single straight flight, which is the simplest and most common stair lift installation.
Split-level homes are a special case because they have several short flights instead of one long one. Sometimes one lift on the flight to the bedrooms solves most of the problem. Ranch-style homes usually have one floor of living space, but a basement stair or front entry steps can still be a barrier, and an outdoor lift or a platform lift may be worth discussing for steps outside.
Rockingham County has about 320,657 residents, and 19.7% are 65 or older. About 79.4% of households own their homes, so many people here are deciding how to stay in a house they already own rather than looking for a new one.
If that includes you or your parent, the VA programs listed below are worth reading closely, since they have specific rules about what they will and will not pay for.
The only program in the list below whose own service list names stair lifts is the GSIL Home Access Modification Program. GSIL helps people find funding for a modification plan rather than paying a fixed amount itself, so it is a good first call.
The CFI Medicaid waiver and USDA Section 504 both fund home accessibility work but do not name stair lifts on their source pages, so ask them directly. The county ServiceLink office handles intake for CFI and can explain options. For state-level questions, the Bureau of Elderly & Adult Services in Concord is at (603) 271-9203, and the New Hampshire State Office of Veterans Services in Manchester is at (603) 624-9230.
Keep in mind that the county's median household income is about $120,836, and Medicaid and USDA programs have strict income limits. If those do not fit, the RSA 72:37-a property tax exemption may still lower the ongoing cost of an accessibility improvement.
A New Hampshire Medicaid waiver for people 65 and older, or adults 18-64 with a disability, that funds home modifications such as ramps, grab bars and wider doorways; stair lifts are not named on the source page. Intake runs through local ServiceLink offices; call (866) 634-9412.
Free information, referral and options counseling for older adults, adults with disabilities and family caregivers, and the local entry point for programs like CFI; stair lift help is not listed as a named service. Call (603) 334-6594.
Granite State Independent Living, based in Concord, lists stair lifts among the home accessibility modifications it helps with and works to identify funding for the plan. Confirm Rockingham County coverage by calling (603) 228-9680.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 (service-connected) or $2,000 (other disabilities) for medically necessary home changes like entrances, bathrooms and permanent ramps. The VA source explicitly excludes removable equipment such as porch lifts and stair glides.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or adapt a home, up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for FY2026. The source does not mention stair lifts.
1% loans up to $40,000 and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas, with grants for those 62 and older; funds can make a home accessible for a household member with a disability, though stair lifts are not named. Check your address and call (603) 223-6035.
A state property tax exemption that deducts the assessed value of qualifying disability improvements from your home's assessment each year, filed on Form PA-29 by April 15; stair lifts are not named on the source. Portsmouth's assessing contact is (603) 610-7249, and other towns should be checked with their own assessor.
Older adults
129 Pleasant Street, Concord, 03301
Veterans
275 Chestnut Street, Room 517, Manchester, 03101-2411
Stairs that turn or have a landing usually need a curved stair lift made to fit that specific staircase. Portsmouth and the Seacoast have many colonial- and federal-era homes, so we measure each one in person before recommending a model.
The CFI Medicaid waiver covers home modifications such as ramps, grab bars and wider doorways, but its source page does not name stair lifts. Applicants must meet income and asset limits (in 2026, $2,982 a month and $2,500 in assets for a single person) and a nursing facility level of care. Call (866) 634-9412 or ServiceLink at (603) 334-6594 to ask.
Yes, possibly. CFI covers adults 18-64 with a disability who meet its other rules, and GSIL's Home Access Modification Program serves New Hampshire residents with disabilities as well as older adults. GSIL is at (603) 228-9680.
The HISA grant's source page specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts, and the SAH and SHA pages do not mention stair lifts. The New Hampshire State Office of Veterans Services at (603) 624-9230 can help a veteran sort out which benefits apply.
Under RSA 72:37-a, towns can exempt the assessed value of improvements made for a resident with a disability, filed on Form PA-29 by April 15. The source does not name stair lifts, so check with your town's assessing office; in Portsmouth, call (603) 610-7249.
Only if your property is in a USDA-eligible rural area, and some denser Seacoast towns may not qualify, so eligibility is checked by address. Grants up to $10,000 are for very-low-income homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan. Call (603) 223-6035.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
