Strafford County is New Hampshire's smallest county by area, but its 13 towns hold a wide mix of homes. The mill-city cores of Dover, Rochester, and Somersworth are full of older, multi-story New England houses, including pre-war triple-deckers and Colonial and Cape-style homes. Out in Barrington, Farmington, Milton, New Durham, Middleton, and the other rural towns, the houses spread out and the driveways get longer.
Most of these homes were built long before accessibility codes existed, and few were designed for single-floor living. That matters if a parent's bedroom or only full bathroom is upstairs. This page walks through what Strafford County housing means for a stair lift, and which local, state, and federal programs may help with the cost.
About 63.3% of county residents live in the urban corridor running through Dover, Rochester, and Somersworth. Many of the homes there are older triple-deckers and Colonial or Cape-style houses with stairwells that were never planned around a lift.
A straight staircase in a Colonial is often the simplest fit for a straight stair lift. Cape-style homes and triple-deckers can have steeper runs, landings, or turns, and a turn usually means a curved lift built to that specific staircase. We measure every staircase in person before recommending a model.
The county's housing also includes split-level homes, townhouses, and walk-up apartments. A split-level often has short flights of a few steps between levels, which can call for more than one lift or a different approach depending on where the bedroom and bathroom sit.
Townhouses tend to have one main interior staircase, often a good candidate for a straight lift. In a walk-up apartment, the stairs may be shared or owned by a landlord, so permission from the building owner comes first. Since 34.6% of units in the county are renter-occupied, that conversation comes up often.
The other 36.7% of residents live in rural towns such as Lee, Madbury, Strafford, Rollinsford, and Middleton. In these homes the hardest stairs are sometimes outside: porch steps, a deck, or the path from the driveway to the door.
An outdoor stair lift is built for weather exposure and can handle exterior steps. For someone who uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift may be the better choice. We look at both the inside and outside stairs during a home visit.
Strafford County has 131,743 residents, and 16.5% are 65 or older. Census figures show 65.4% of the county's 51,454 households live in owner-occupied units, so most older residents staying at home own a house that predates modern accessibility design.
Veterans have their own set of grant programs, listed below, and Strafford County Veterans Services in Dover at (603) 516-4216 can help sort out which ones apply.
Only one program below, Granite State Independent Living, explicitly lists stair lifts as a covered service. GSIL has a Dover office and its staff evaluate the home and help stack funding sources such as Medicaid, VA benefits, local grants, and self-pay.
A good first call for many families is the Strafford County Aging & Disability Resource Center at (603) 332-7398 in Rochester. It does not pay for stair lifts itself, but it screens residents and refers them to programs like the Choices for Independence waiver and caregiver support. The state Bureau of Elderly & Adult Services in Concord can be reached at (603) 271-9203.
Be aware that the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides, and several other programs do not mention stair lifts at all. Ask each program directly before counting on its help.
A statewide Medicaid waiver for people 65 and older, or 18 to 64 with a qualifying disability, who meet financial limits and need nursing facility level of care; it funds home modifications such as ramps and grab bars, but stair lifts are not named. Call (866) 634-9412, and expect possible waitlists.
The county's single entry point for long-term care counseling, Medicare and Medicaid navigation, and caregiver support at 25 Old Dover Rd., Rochester; it refers people to funding rather than paying for stair lifts directly. Call (603) 332-7398.
A nonprofit program that explicitly lists stair lifts among covered accessibility services, with staff who evaluate the home, build a plan, and identify funding; GSIL has a Dover office. Call (603) 228-9680 to confirm current Strafford County service.
Repair loans and grants, combined up to $50,000, for very-low-income homeowners in USDA-eligible rural areas, with grants up to $10,000 lifetime for owners 62 or older; stair lifts are not named, and Dover, Rochester, and Somersworth city cores may not qualify. Call (603) 223-6035.
A VA benefit of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically needed home changes like permanent ramps and roll-in showers; it explicitly does not cover stair glides. Call (800) 827-1000.
Up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities to adapt a home they own or will own; stair lifts are not specifically listed as covered or excluded. Call (800) 827-1000.
Up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities to build, buy, or extensively remodel a barrier-free home; stair lifts are not specifically named. Call (800) 827-1000.
Volunteers complete basic safety and accessibility repairs, such as grab bars, for owner-occupied homes in every Strafford County town; stair lifts are not named, and applicants must be referred by an agency such as ServiceLink or a town welfare office. The program can be reached at (603) 433-9555.
Older adults
129 Pleasant Street, Concord, 03301
Veterans
259 County Farm Road Suite 204, Dover, 03820
The Choices for Independence waiver covers home modifications for safety and accessibility, but the program's materials name ramps, grab bars, doorway widening, and fencing, not stair lifts. Call (866) 634-9412 or the Strafford County ADRC at (603) 332-7398 to ask about your situation.
Yes, possibly. The CFI waiver serves adults 18 to 64 with a qualifying disability, and Granite State Independent Living serves New Hampshire residents with disabilities as well as older adults.
No. The VA program page explicitly excludes stair glides from HISA. The SHA and SAH grants do not name stair lifts either way, so contact Strafford County Veterans Services at (603) 516-4216 or the VA at (800) 827-1000 to ask.
It depends on the exact address. The USDA 504 program covers only USDA-eligible rural areas, and the Dover, Rochester, and Somersworth city cores may not qualify. Check the address on the USDA eligibility map or call (603) 223-6035.
No. The program does not accept direct requests, so you need a referring agency such as ServiceLink or your town welfare office.
Usually, yes. Stairs with a turn or landing, common in older Cape-style homes and triple-deckers, generally need a curved stair lift built to fit that staircase, which we measure during a home visit.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
