From Pennsville and Carneys Point along the Delaware River to Elmer, Woodstown and the farm roads of Upper Pittsgrove, Salem County has 19 towns, and many of them are full of 18th- and 19th-century farmhouses and modest Quaker-influenced colonial homes. Those houses were built with narrow staircases, tight stairwells and half-flights that a modern builder would never draw.
That history matters when you are picking a stair lift. A straight rail works on plenty of stairs here, but older homes in places like Salem, Alloway, Mannington and Hancocks Bridge often need a custom or curved rail. This page walks through what fits, what it costs, and which local offices can help with the bill.
Federal-era and farmhouse construction tends to put the staircase in a tight spot. You may have a narrow run, a turn near the top, or two short half-flights with a landing between them. Each of those changes the kind of rail we can use.
A single straight flight usually takes a straight-rail lift, which is the simplest and lowest-cost install. Stairs that turn, split into half-flights or wind around a corner usually call for a curved rail built to the shape of your staircase. We measure first so you know which one you need before anything is ordered.
Not every home in the county is old. Salem County also has single-family homes, detached houses, townhouses, split-level homes and walk-up apartments. Split-level homes often have short flights between levels, and a walk-up apartment means checking with the building owner about a lift on shared stairs.
Salem County is New Jersey's westernmost county, bordered by the Delaware River and Delaware Bay, and the land is almost uniformly flat coastal plain. The highest point is only about 160 ft. So the trouble is rarely a steep hillside. It is the steps right at the house.
Winters are cold and damp, with a January average of 33.2°F and a record low of -14°F. Icy porches, unheated mudroom entries and exterior steps become a real fall risk on rural properties. For those spots, a weatherproof outdoor stair lift can carry someone up the porch steps, while an indoor lift handles the main staircase.
If someone in the home uses a wheelchair, a seat lift may not be the right answer for the entry. In that case a ramp or a platform-style lift is worth talking through during the home visit.
About 18.5% of Salem County residents are 65 or older, and 72.7% of households own their home. For many families, the question is how to make the house they already own work for another set of years.
A straight-rail stair lift runs roughly $2,000 to $5,000 installed, and a curved rail costs more. With a 2024 median property value of $239,500, that is a real share of a home's worth. Still, an in-state move can run $2,000 to $5,000 or more depending on home size and distance, before you count the cost of a new place. Keeping one familiar home and adding a lift is often the more practical path.
Local help exists, but it is uneven, and it is better to know that up front. Habitat for Humanity Salem County NJ runs two programs, and neither covers stair lifts: one leases metal wheelchair ramps and the other handles minor home repairs.
The two county offices are the better first calls. The Salem County Small Cities CDBG housing rehabilitation program serves low-to-moderate income homeowners, and the Salem County Office on Aging & Disabilities screens seniors and residents with disabilities for home and community-based services. Stair lift coverage has not been confirmed for either one, so ask directly.
Statewide, ask about Jersey Assistance for Community Caregiving (JACC) and NJ Medicaid MLTSS. The Office on Aging can tell you which one, if any, fits your situation.
VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics) is a statewide option worth asking about for home changes.
The Salem County Department of Veterans Affairs at 90 Market Street in Salem can help with paperwork; call (856) 339-8603. The nearest VA sites are the Wilmington VA Medical Center in Wilmington, DE and the Cumberland County VA Clinic in Vineland, NJ.
Leases a metal wheelchair ramp to income-eligible Salem County homeowners for $250/year, compared with about $3,000 for a built wood ramp; it does not cover stair lifts or interior lift equipment. Screening goes through Resources for Independent Living (RIL) at 856-678-9400, and Habitat can be reached at (856) 299-7995.
Offers an affordable loan with volunteer labor for painting, weatherization and minor repairs for low-to-moderate income homeowners, with priority to veterans, seniors and people with disabilities; it does not cover stair lifts or ramps. Call (856) 299-7995.
A county housing rehabilitation program for low-to-moderate income homeowners, for which the county sought an estimated $400,000 for FY2026, with at least 50% of homeowner funds structured as a repayable loan. Whether stair lifts are covered is unknown, so call (856) 935-7510 to ask.
The county's intake, referral and screening office for seniors and residents with disabilities, with Home Repair among its service areas; it is unknown whether it funds stair lifts directly. Call (856) 339-8622 or visit 110 Fifth Street, Suite 900, Salem.
A statewide New Jersey program; stair lift coverage is not listed in our sources. Ask the Salem County Office on Aging & Disabilities at (856) 339-8622 about eligibility.
A statewide New Jersey Medicaid program; stair lift coverage is not listed in our sources. The Salem County Office on Aging & Disabilities at (856) 339-8622 can point you to the right contact.
Statewide VA benefits for veterans; stair lift coverage is not listed in our sources. Start with the Salem County Department of Veterans Affairs at (856) 339-8603.
Older adults
110 Fifth Street, Suite 900, Salem, 08079
Veterans
90 Market Street, Salem, 08079
Often, yes. Narrow stairs, tight stairwells and half-flights are common in Salem County's 18th- and 19th-century homes, and they usually call for a custom or curved rail instead of a straight one. We measure the staircase before recommending anything.
No. Habitat for Humanity Salem County NJ's Metal Ramp Program covers wheelchair ramps only, and its Home Repair Program excludes stair lifts and ramps. For lift funding, call the county offices instead.
Start with the Salem County Office on Aging & Disabilities at (856) 339-8622 for screening and referrals. You can also ask the county's housing rehabilitation program at (856) 935-7510 whether stair lifts qualify.
They can. With January averaging 33.2°F and damp winters, icy porches and exterior steps are a real fall risk on rural properties. A weatherproof outdoor model can handle those steps while an indoor lift covers the main stairs.
A straight-rail lift runs roughly $2,000 to $5,000 installed, with curved rails costing more. An in-state move can run $2,000 to $5,000 or more, before the cost of a new home.
Contact the Salem County Department of Veterans Affairs at 90 Market Street in Salem, (856) 339-8603, and ask about VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics).
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
