Schleicher County covers roughly 1,311 square miles of rolling Edwards Plateau ranch country, with Eldorado as its one town and county seat. With about 1.9 people per square mile, many homes sit a long drive from the nearest neighbor, let alone the nearest contractor.
Most houses here are ranch-style homes, along with single-family homes, manufactured homes and split-level homes. That mix matters for stair lifts, because the stairs that cause trouble in this county are often entry steps and short split-level flights, not tall indoor staircases.
A ranch-style home is usually on one floor, so the problem is often the steps up to the front door or back porch. Those steps call for an outdoor stair lift built to sit in the weather, or a platform lift if someone uses a wheelchair.
Split-level homes have short flights between levels. A straight stair lift fits most of these runs, though a home with more than one short flight may need a lift on each one. Curved lifts come into play only where a staircase turns or has a landing.
Manufactured homes typically have raised entries with steps outside. An outdoor lift or a platform lift can work, and for some households a ramp is the better answer.
Of the county's 1,793 residents, 19.8% are 65 or older, and 85.9% are homeowners. The 2020 census counted 1,285 housing units, with 77.7% owner-occupied.
Those numbers point to people who have lived in the same house for a long time and plan to stay. A stair lift is often the change that lets someone keep using the whole house instead of moving.
The county government describes very low population density typical of West Texas ranch country. With few local installation or maintenance contractors, plan ahead for the measuring visit, the install and any future service.
Ask any installer how service calls work for a home outside Eldorado. A lift that runs on battery power and has a simple, reachable charging point is easier to live with when help is a drive away.
None of the local programs listed below names stair lifts as something it pays for. The Area Agency on Aging of the Concho Valley is the best first call, since it handles referrals and benefits counseling for adults 60 and older.
Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants cover home modifications for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities, but the VA source does not confirm stair lifts by name, so ask before you plan around them.
Texas also has statewide programs worth asking about: the STAR+PLUS Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver, the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program (AYBR), VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics) and the Community Living Assistance and Support Services (CLASS) Waiver. The Concho Valley AAA office in San Angelo can be reached at (325) 944-9666.
Provides benefits counseling, care coordination and caregiver support for adults 60 and older in the 14-county Concho Valley region, including Schleicher County; stair lifts are not listed, but it is the place to ask about in-home accessibility help. Call (325) 223-5704.
A nonprofit that builds wheelchair ramps free to qualifying homeowners, and Schleicher County is in its service area; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (214) 558-0339 to ask about a ramp request.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability status, for medically necessary structural changes prescribed by a VA provider. It does not cover stair lifts; the VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts.
Up to $126,526 lifetime to buy, build or adapt a home for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities; stair lifts are not named in the source, so confirm with the VA. Call (800) 698-2411.
Up to $25,350 lifetime for home modifications for veterans with loss or loss of use of both hands, severe burns or certain respiratory injuries; stair lifts are not named in the source. Call (800) 698-2411.
Offers weatherization and housing case management to low-income households in 11 counties, including Schleicher County; accessibility changes and stair lifts are not listed. Call (325) 653-2411.
Older adults
2801 W. Loop 306, Suite A, San Angelo, 76904
Veterans
202 Henry O. Flipper St., San Angelo, 76903
Not through the HISA grant, which explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants cover home modifications for certain severe service-connected disabilities, but the VA source does not name stair lifts, so call (800) 698-2411 and ask.
Many ranch-style and manufactured homes in the county have steps at the entry. An outdoor stair lift, a platform lift or a ramp can handle those steps, depending on whether a wheelchair is involved.
The Area Agency on Aging of the Concho Valley mainly serves adults 60 and older, though some of its programs serve younger Medicare beneficiaries. Call (325) 223-5704 to see what applies.
The Texas Ramp Project lists Schleicher County in its San Angelo Region and builds ramps free to qualifying homeowners. Call (214) 558-0339 to start a request.
Workforce Solutions Concho Valley is at 202 Henry O. Flipper St., San Angelo, 76903, and can be reached at (325) 795-4245.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
