Wilbarger County stretches across about 971 square miles of North Texas rolling plains along the Oklahoma border. Most people live in Vernon, the county seat, and the rest are spread between Lockett and the farm and ranch country around them. Many of the houses here went up when the county was much bigger. It had 24,579 people in 1930, and about 10,215 today.
That history shapes what a stair lift job looks like here. Older single-family homes, detached houses and a smaller number of townhouses and walk-up apartments each bring their own staircase layouts. This page walks through how those homes match up with straight, curved and outdoor lifts, and where local families can look for help with the cost.
Vernon has long been the county's administrative, manufacturing and educational center, and much of its housing dates from the mid-20th century or earlier. In a lot of those homes, the stairs run in one straight flight. That is the simplest and usually the least costly kind of stair lift to install, because the rail comes in standard lengths and mounts to the treads.
If the staircase turns at a landing or wraps around a corner, you are looking at a curved lift instead. Those rails are built to the exact shape of your stairs, so expect a measuring visit and a longer wait before installation.
Townhouses and walk-up apartments often have narrow, steep stairs. Before choosing a model, we check the width at the narrowest point and how much room there is at the top and bottom for getting on and off safely.
As of the 2020 Census, 26.1% of county residents lived in rural areas, while 73.9% lived in urban areas concentrated in Vernon. For the families out past town, the main difference is distance. Installers and home-modification contractors tend to be based in Vernon or nearby Wichita Falls, so travel time can stretch out scheduling and service calls.
Farmhouses and ranch homes often have steps up to the porch or back door as well as stairs inside. An outdoor stair lift is built for weather and can handle those entry steps. When the climb is short and a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift may be a better fit than a seat on a rail.
If you live out of town, ask during the first visit how service calls will work. It helps to plan for that before the lift goes in, not after.
About 19.0% of Wilbarger County residents are 65 or older, and 13.5% of households have someone 65 or older living alone. For a parent on their own, a stair lift can mean keeping the upstairs bedroom instead of moving everything to the ground floor.
Roughly 57.7% of residents own their homes. Owners have the most freedom to install a lift, since the rail attaches to the stairs.
In a county where the population has been shrinking for decades, many senior homeowners cannot easily pay the full cost out of pocket. None of the programs listed below names stair lifts by name as a covered item, and one VA grant explicitly excludes them. That does not rule out help, but it means approval is decided case by case.
The most promising routes are home repair and accessibility funds. USDA Section 504 offers grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners age 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, plus loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest. TDHCA handles HOME funds for accessibility modifications, and STAR+PLUS can include minor home modifications and adaptive equipment through a member's service plan.
A good first call is the North Texas Area Agency on Aging in Wichita Falls at (940) 322-5281. Statewide, you can also ask about the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program (AYBR) and the Community Living Assistance and Support Services (CLASS) Waiver.
The Veteran Services Office is in the basement of the Wilbarger Courthouse at 1700 Wilbarger St in Vernon, and the phone is (940) 553-2310. The officer there can help with VA applications.
Be aware that the VA HISA grant does not pay for stair glides, porch lifts or other removable equipment. The SAH and SHA grants are for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities, and the VA does not list stair lifts by name for those either, so ask the office how a request would be reviewed.
A Texas Medicaid managed-care program for adults 65 and older or adults with disabilities who meet Medicaid financial and nursing-facility level of care criteria. Sources describe it as covering minor home modifications and adaptive equipment, but stair lifts are not listed by name, so coverage depends on the individual service plan and health plan approval.
The regional Area Agency on Aging for adults 60 and older, offering information and referral, benefits counseling, transportation and respite care rather than cash grants. Stair lifts are not listed, but it is a useful starting point for referrals; call (940) 322-5281.
Federal repair help for very-low-income rural homeowners: grants up to $10,000 for owners age 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest, or up to $50,000 combined. Funds must address health and safety hazards, and stair lifts are not listed by name, so eligibility is case by case.
State-administered federal HOME funds for home repair and accessibility modifications for low-to-moderate income Texas homeowners, including elderly and disabled residents, mainly in rural areas. Stair lifts are not listed by name; use TDHCA's Help For Texans tool to find a local program administrator.
A lifetime VA benefit of up to $6,800 for service-connected disabilities (or non-service-connected rated 50% or more) and $2,000 for other eligible disabilities, for medically necessary alterations. It does not cover stair lifts, since the VA explicitly excludes stair glides; call (800) 827-1000 for other HISA questions.
VA grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities: SAH up to $126,526, SHA up to $25,350, and TRA up to $50,961 or $9,100 (FY2026). Stair lifts are not listed by name, so ask about your case at (800) 827-1000.
Older adults
4309 Jacksboro Highway, Wichita Falls, 76302
Veterans
Wilbarger Courthouse Basement, 1700 Wilbarger St, Vernon, 76384
No. The HISA grant explicitly excludes removable equipment such as portable ramps, porch lifts and stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not list stair lifts by name either, so talk with the Veteran Services Office in Vernon at (940) 553-2310 about your situation.
The North Texas Area Agency on Aging serves adults 60 and older. Younger adults with disabilities may qualify for STAR+PLUS if they meet Medicaid financial and functional criteria, and TDHCA HOME funds can serve low-to-moderate income disabled homeowners.
Yes, the lift itself works the same in a rural home. The difference is distance, since installers and contractors are usually based in Vernon or Wichita Falls, so plan for longer travel times on installation and service visits.
Possibly, but it is not guaranteed. Section 504 grants of up to $10,000 go to very-low-income homeowners age 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, and the money must fix a health or safety hazard. Stair lifts are not named, so each request is decided case by case.
Entry steps outside need an outdoor stair lift built to handle weather. If the person uses a wheelchair and the climb is short, a platform lift may work better than a seat on a rail.
Start with the North Texas AAA in Wichita Falls at (940) 322-5281 for referrals. Veterans should also call the Veteran Services Office in the Wilbarger Courthouse basement at (940) 553-2310.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
