Washington County stretches across 724 square miles of the Tualatin Valley, roughly 20 miles west of Portland. On one side you have the busy tech-corridor suburbs around Hillsboro and Beaverton. On the other you have older valley towns like Forest Grove, Cornelius, Gaston, Banks and North Plains, where farmhouses still sit on agricultural land.
That spread matters when someone starts struggling with the stairs. A newer multi-story subdivision home in Bethany needs a different lift than a split-level in Cedar Hills or an older farmhouse outside Gaston. This page walks through what fits the homes here and which programs can help cover the cost.
The housing here runs from single-family homes and detached houses to townhouses, walk-up apartments and split-level homes. Construction eras range widely, so no single lift suits every street. Single-level ranch construction may need no lift at all, while a multi-story subdivision home almost always has at least one full flight.
Townhouses in places like Tigard, Tualatin and Sherwood often have long, straight staircases, which are usually the simplest and most affordable to fit with a straight rail. Split-level homes are trickier. They tend to have several short runs, and a curved rail or more than one lift may be the practical answer.
Older farmhouses in the valley towns can have narrower stairs and landings that turn. We measure the width, the turns and the landings before recommending a straight or curved model.
The valley floor near the Tualatin River is flat, but the county rises fast at the edges. The Northern Oregon Coast Range sits to the west and north, the Chehalem Mountains to the south, and the Tualatin Mountains (West Hills) to the east, with forested foothills climbing toward South Saddle Mountain at 3,464 feet.
In the hillier western and southern parts of the county, homes built into sloped lots often have steps outside as well as inside. An outdoor stair lift, built to handle the weather, can cover the walk from the driveway to the front door. Where a wheelchair is part of the picture, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat.
Homes in the flatter core around Hillsboro and Beaverton usually have fewer exterior grade changes, so the work there is more often limited to the indoor staircase.
Compared with many rural Oregon counties, this is a young county, with a median age of 37.2 at the 2020 census. Still, about 14.0% of residents are 65 or older, and that group keeps growing.
About 60.0% of households own their homes, which matters because most home modification programs and loans require ownership.
Most families in the county pay for a stair lift out of pocket or with a loan. Of the programs listed below, only the Northwest Access Fund loan program names stair lift installation outright. It offers up to $60,000 with up to a 10-year repayment term.
The others are worth a call but come with limits. The VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides. Oregon Project Independence, the K Plan waiver, USDA Section 504 and the VA SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts on their source pages, so ask before you count on them.
For local guidance, the Washington County Dept of Disability, Aging & Veteran Services is at 155 N First Ave, MS #44, Hillsboro 97123, phone (503) 846-3060. Veterans can also reach the Washington County Veteran Services Office at 5240 NE Elam Young Parkway, Suite 300, Hillsboro 97124, at the same number.
A state Medicaid waiver that helps aged or physically disabled Oregonians stay at home, run through Area Agencies on Aging/APD offices and Tribes. Stair lifts and home modifications are not listed on the source page; call (855) 673-2372 to ask.
In-home services such as personal care, housekeeping, transportation and durable medical equipment for residents 60+, adults 18+ with a physical disability, or anyone with dementia, at no cost or on a sliding scale. Stair lifts and home modifications are not mentioned; call (855) 673-2372.
One-time deep interior cleaning and removal of garbage and household items for lower-income residents 60+. Home modifications and stair lifts are not mentioned; call (855) 673-2372.
A nonprofit low-interest loan of up to $60,000 over up to 10 years for people of any age with a disability, and stair lift installation is named as a covered use. Separate Assistive Technology loans go up to $25,000; call (206) 328-5116.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62+, for very-low-income owners in USDA-eligible rural areas. Stair lifts are not named, and much of urban Hillsboro, Beaverton and Tigard is likely ineligible; call (800) 414-1226.
A lifetime benefit of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for veterans with a VA physician's prescription, covering entrance, bathroom and kitchen accessibility work. Stair glides are explicitly excluded, so HISA does not cover stair lifts.
Up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or plan to own the home. Stair lifts are not explicitly named as a covered item.
Up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands, severe burns or breathing injuries. Stair lifts are not explicitly named as a covered item.
A veterans-only state home-repair grant, with rules set by the local organization that administers it. Stair lifts are not specifically named; call (800) 453-5511 to find who handles it in Washington County.
Critical repairs for low-income homeowners in Multnomah or Washington County, including ADA ramps and fall prevention improvements, with a separate veteran application window. Stair lifts are not explicitly named; call (503) 287-9529.
Older adults
155 N First Ave, MS #44, Hillsboro, 97123
Veterans
5240 NE Elam Young Parkway, Suite 300, Hillsboro, 97124
No. The HISA program lists stair glides among its excluded equipment. Veterans with qualifying disabilities can ask about the SAH or SHA grants, though neither names stair lifts outright.
Yes. The Northwest Access Fund Home Modification Loan Program names stair lift installation and lends up to $60,000 with up to 10 years to repay. Call (206) 328-5116.
Probably not in the urban core, since the property must be in a USDA-eligible rural area. Smaller towns and unincorporated areas may qualify, so check the address with USDA at (800) 414-1226.
Oregon Project Independence serves adults 18+ with a physical disability and people of any age with dementia. The Northwest Access Fund loan is open to people of any age who have a disability.
Often, yes. Homes built into sloped lots in the western and southern parts of the county tend to have exterior steps, and an outdoor stair lift or platform lift can handle those along with the indoor stairs.
The Washington County Dept of Disability, Aging & Veteran Services is at 155 N First Ave, MS #44, Hillsboro 97123. The phone is (503) 846-3060.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
