Homes in Elko County are newer than most people expect. The city of Elko has a median construction year around 1988, and only about 13% of homes predate 1950. Many went up during the 1970s-1980s mining boom or again from 2010-2019, and a lot of them are split-level or two-story ranch-era designs with stairs between levels or up from an attached garage.
The county also covers about 17,203 square miles, the fourth-largest county in the contiguous United States. From Elko and Spring Creek out to West Wendover, Carlin, Jackpot, Wells, Osino and Owyhee, the distances are long. This page covers how those homes and those miles affect a stair lift, and which programs may help with the cost.
Roughly half of Elko's housing units are detached single-family homes. In a split-level, the trouble is often a short flight between the main floor and the bedrooms, or the steps from an attached garage into the house. A two-story ranch-era design usually has one longer run to the upstairs.
A plain, straight flight with no turn is the simplest case and calls for a straight stair lift. If the stairs turn at a landing or wrap around a corner, the rail has to be built to fit that staircase, which is a curved stair lift. We measure every staircase before recommending one.
Townhouses and walk-up apartments are also part of the local mix. In a walk-up, the stairs are often shared, so the building owner usually has to approve any installation.
Per the 2020 census, 51.8% of county residents lived in rural areas. Many older homeowners live a long way from Elko city and its contractors, which can stretch wait times and add travel cost for stair lift installers and home-modification crews.
If you are outside town, plan ahead rather than waiting for a fall to force the decision. A first visit to measure, then a second to install, is the usual pattern. Outside steps up to a porch or entry can call for an outdoor stair lift, and where a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift may be the better fit.
Elko County has a population of 46,702.
Homeownership matters because several of the programs below, including the USDA repair loans and grants and the RNDC rehabilitation program, require you to own and live in the home. Veterans have their own set of VA grants, though one of them, HISA, does not pay for stair lifts.
The city of Elko's median household income is $79,036, higher than many rural counties, but the poverty rate is 13.78%. Mining-dependent income can also rise and fall with commodity cycles, so plenty of families look for help instead of paying the full cost out of pocket.
None of the programs listed below names stair lifts outright, and the VA HISA grant excludes them. The strongest leads are the WPD Medicaid waiver, which funds Environmental Accessibility Adaptations through an individual care plan, the USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants, and the RNDC program, which lists Handicap Accessibility Needs as an eligible repair category.
A practical first call is the ADSD Elko Regional Office at (775) 738-1966, 1010 Ruby Vista Drive, Suite 104, Elko, NV 89801. That office is the local intake point for the Medicaid waivers and COPE.
A Medicaid waiver for Nevada residents of any age with a physical disability who meet Nursing Facility Level of Care; it covers Environmental Accessibility Adaptations, but stair lifts are not listed by name and depend on the approved care plan. Apply through ADSD at (775) 738-1966.
A Medicaid waiver for residents 65 and older who meet Nursing Facility Level of Care, with limited slots and a waitlist. Home modifications are not among its services, so it would not fund a stair lift; call (775) 738-1966 for in-home services it does cover.
A state-funded program for residents 65 and older whose income is above Medicaid limits but still low; its Chore services handle task-based safety fixes, and stair lifts are not listed. Call (775) 687-4210.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income rural homeowners, with grants limited to those 62 and older; stair lifts are not itemized and are reviewed case by case as a health and safety hazard. Call (775) 401-5399.
A rehabilitation grant funded as a 3-year forgivable lien for homeowner-occupants in Elko County, with Handicap Accessibility Needs as an eligible category; stair lifts are not named specifically. Call (866) 404-5204.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary structural changes for veterans with a VA-rated disability. It does not cover stair lifts, as stair glides are specifically excluded; call (775) 786-7200 about other alterations.
Grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA (FY2026), to buy, build or adapt a home. Stair lifts are not listed by name; call (800) 827-1000.
The local office for benefits counseling, referrals and applications for the FE and WPD waivers and COPE; it does not fund home modifications itself. Call (775) 738-1966.
Older adults
3416 Goni Rd., Suite D-132, Carson City, 89706
Veterans
1500 College Parkway – McMullen Hall, Room 114, Elko, 89801
Not through the HISA grant, which excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants fund larger adaptations for severe service-connected disabilities but do not name stair lifts, so ask the VA at (800) 827-1000. VAST Elko can also be reached at (775) 777-1000.
Possibly, through the WPD waiver, which includes Environmental Accessibility Adaptations decided by each person's care plan. The Frail Elderly waiver does not fund home modifications. Start with the ADSD Elko office at (775) 738-1966.
Yes. The WPD waiver accepts Nevada residents of any age who meet its disability and nursing-level-of-care rules. The USDA Section 504 grant starts at age 62, and its loans have no age floor listed.
It can. Much of the county is rural and far from Elko city contractors, which can mean longer waits and added travel cost. Calling early helps.
Not always. If each short flight is straight, a straight lift may work for that flight. If the stairs turn at a landing, a curved rail is usually needed, and an in-home measurement settles it.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
