Comanche County covers 948 square miles of rural Central Texas, with three towns: Comanche, De Leon and Gustine. The 2020 Census counts the whole county as rural, with no urban-defined population anywhere. In the county seat, homes spread out from the courthouse square, where the preserved Old Cora Courthouse still stands near the modern one.
Many houses here were built as early-to-mid-20th-century farmhouses and small-town homes. They tend to have raised foundations, several steps up to the porch, and sometimes an interior staircase. Those details decide what kind of stair lift will work, so this page walks through them and then covers the programs that may help with the cost.
Housing in Comanche is largely older and owner-occupied, about 69% owner-occupied in the town itself. Across the county, the mix includes single-family homes, detached houses, ranch-style homes, split-level homes and manufactured homes.
An interior staircase that runs in one straight line is the simplest case, and a straight stair lift rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall. If the stairs turn at a landing or wrap around a corner, the rail has to be bent to fit that exact staircase, which is what a curved stair lift is.
Split-level homes usually have short flights between levels. We look at each flight separately, since one level change may be all that stands between a person and the bedroom or the kitchen.
In this county, the hardest stairs are often outside. A raised foundation and a multi-step entry can make the front or back door the real barrier, even in a ranch-style home with everything on one floor inside.
For those entries, an outdoor stair lift built for weather is one option. Where a wheelchair user needs to get up to the door, a vertical platform lift may make more sense than a seat on a rail. Manufactured homes often have outdoor steps up to the door as well, and we check the steps and the ground they sit on before recommending anything.
Comanche County sits roughly 60 miles north of the geographic center of Texas, and there is no large city inside it. Residents often travel to regional hubs such as Abilene or Brownwood for specialized services.
That distance can affect how soon equipment gets installed and serviced. If a hospital discharge or a recent fall is driving the decision, call early so measuring, ordering and installation can be lined up before the stairs become a daily problem.
Be aware that one common VA grant, HISA, explicitly excludes stair glides, while the larger SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either way.
About 68.5% of residents own their homes. That matters because several programs, including the USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants, are only for homeowners who live in the house. The local Veterans Service Office at 211 S. Austin in Comanche, (325) 356-3766, can help a veteran sort out which VA benefits apply.
The clearest public path for a stair lift in Texas is the STAR+PLUS Home and Community Based Services waiver, which can cover minor home modifications, and a stair lift can qualify. It is a Medicaid program with income and asset limits and usually an interest list.
Other programs listed below cover accessibility work or home repairs but do not name stair lifts, so ask each one directly before counting on it. Statewide, it is also worth asking about the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program (AYBR). For older adults, the West Central Texas AAA is at 1025 EN 10th St., Abilene, TX 79601, phone (325) 672-8544.
A Texas Medicaid managed-care waiver for residents 65 and older, or adults with a qualifying disability, who need nursing-facility level care but want to stay home; minor home modifications are covered and a stair lift can qualify. Call (877) 438-5658; expect an interest list and a home-equity limit of $752,000.
A Medicaid waiver for people with a disability related to a condition other than intellectual disability, with minor home modifications limited to $10,000 total per lifetime. The source names ramps, door widening, roll-in showers and grab bars but does not list stair lifts, so confirm with a CLASS case management agency.
An Older Americans Act service for repairs or modifications that are essential to an older person's health and safety, decided case by case; stair lifts are not listed. The source does not confirm that Comanche County is in its service area, so call (325) 793-8417 to check before applying.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners in rural areas, with grants limited to those 62 and older who cannot repay a loan; the county is entirely rural and eligible. The program covers making a home accessible for a household member with a disability, but stair lifts are not named.
A lifetime VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability rating, for medically necessary structural changes to a veteran's home. It explicitly does not cover stair glides or porch lifts; call (800) 827-1000 for other VA options.
VA grants for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA (FY2026), to buy, build or adapt a home. Ramps and doorway widening are described, but stair lifts are not mentioned; call (800) 827-1000.
A nonprofit center that serves Comanche County residents with disabilities through referrals, help applying for benefits, independent living skills and rural transportation assistance. It does not list stair lift funding, but it can help with applications for programs like STAR+PLUS, CLASS or USDA 504; call (325) 672-5460.
Older adults
1025 EN 10th St., Abilene, 79601
Veterans
211 S. Austin, Comanche, 76442
It can, through the STAR+PLUS Home and Community Based Services waiver, which covers minor home modifications, and a stair lift can qualify. The person must meet Medicaid income and asset limits and need nursing-facility level care. Call (877) 438-5658, and expect an interest list.
No. HISA explicitly excludes removable equipment such as stair glides and porch lifts. A veteran with a severe service-connected disability may want to ask about the SAH or SHA grants, though those do not mention stair lifts either. The Veterans Service Office in Comanche is at (325) 356-3766.
Yes, the county is classified as entirely rural, so it falls in USDA rural-eligible territory for Section 504 loans and grants. Grants go to homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, and a grant must be repaid if the home is sold within 3 years. Stair lifts are not named, so ask whether your project qualifies.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are made for porch and entry steps. If the person uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may be the better fit. We measure the steps and the landing at the door to see which one works.
STAR+PLUS also covers adults with a qualifying disability, and the CLASS waiver serves people with certain related conditions, with up to $10,000 per lifetime for minor home modifications. Disability in Action in Abilene, (325) 672-5460, serves Comanche County and can help with applications.
The West Central Texas AAA in Abilene is at (325) 672-8544. Its residential repair line, (325) 793-8417, can tell you whether Comanche County is in its service area, since that could not be confirmed from its published pages.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
