Most of Uintah County's 20,358 residents live in the Ashley Valley, in and around Vernal, Maeser and Naples. Past those towns, homes spread out toward Ballard, Fort Duchesne and Jensen, across a county of 4,501 square miles that runs from the Uinta Mountains down to the canyonland near Dinosaur National Monument.
That spread shapes how people age in place here. Homes sit far apart and far from services, and sloped lots often mean split levels and steps where a flat lot would have none. This page walks through what that means for a stair lift and where Uintah County families can look for help paying for one.
Much of the county's housing follows the single-story, ranch-style rural pattern typical of the Uintah Basin. You will also find split-level homes, duplexes, detached houses and some multi-unit buildings. Each one raises a different question when we look at the stairs.
A split-level home usually has short flights between levels. A short, straight flight can often take a straight stair lift, which is the simplest kind to fit. If the stairs turn at a landing or wrap around a corner, a curved lift built to that staircase is the usual answer.
In a ranch home, the inside may be one floor, but the steps up to the door can still be the hard part. Those steps are where an outdoor lift or a platform lift comes into the conversation. A platform lift also makes sense when someone uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat.
The county climbs from the Ashley Valley to elevations up to roughly 12,276 feet in the Uinta Mountains. Homes on sloped ground were often built with stairs or split levels to handle the grade. That is why stair lifts come up so often for families here.
Population density is low, at 7.95 people per square mile. For a homeowner near Jensen or out past Ballard, that means planning the visit ahead and measuring carefully, so the lift fits the stairs the first time and the trip is not wasted.
About 10.1% of Uintah County residents are 65 or older, and the county skews younger than the country as a whole. So while the share of older adults is modest, many of them live in homes they have owned for years.
Homeownership is high. In 2024, 73.5% of housing units were owner-occupied, well above the national average of 65.2%. That matters, because several of the repair programs below only serve owner-occupied single-family homes.
If someone in your family served, the VA grants below are worth checking before you pay anything yourself.
Median household income in the county was $59,428 in the 2020 census, and 13.2% of residents lived below the poverty line. Many families will want to look at grants, waivers or loans before paying the full cost out of pocket.
Start with the Uintah Basin AAA at (435) 722-4518, at 330 East 100 South in Roosevelt. The same number reaches the UBAOG Alternatives Program and the CDBG and Olene Walker housing rehabilitation programs. Those repair programs cover 'ADA and many other housing needs,' but none of the sources name stair lifts outright, so ask directly.
Medicaid waivers and VA grants are the other main paths, and each is listed below. The Utah Assistive Technology Foundation (UATF) Loan is also available statewide. Veterans can reach the Utah Department of Veterans & Military Affairs office at 1050 Market Drive in Vernal, phone (385) 450-3945.
A case-management program that helps frail older adults in Uintah, Duchesne and Daggett counties stay at home instead of entering a nursing facility, with services like home health aides and emergency response systems. The source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications; call (435) 722-4518.
A home-repair grant for owner-occupied single-family homes in Daggett, Duchesne or Uintah County with income at or below 80% of Area Median Income, covering roofs, furnaces and 'ADA and many other housing needs.' Stair lifts are not named on the source, so ask at (435) 722-4518.
A state housing-rehabilitation loan run by UBAOG with the same 80% AMI and owner-occupied requirements as the CDBG program, and it can extend CDBG-funded work. The source does not list stair lifts by name; call (435) 722-4518.
A Medicaid waiver for people 65 or older who need nursing-facility level of care, and its service list includes Environmental Accessibility Adaptations. Stair lifts are not named, so ask your case manager whether one qualifies; call (866) 435-7414.
A Medicaid waiver that helps people living long-term in a nursing facility or other licensed institution move back into the community. The reviewed pages do not say whether stair lifts or home modifications are covered; ask the intake line at (800) 662-9651.
A Medicaid waiver for adults 18 or older with functional loss of 2 or more limbs who need at least 14 hours per week of personal assistance, and a waiting list applies. It does not cover stair lifts; call (801) 538-4200 for details.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities to buy or change a home, with ramps and wider doorways given as examples. Stair lifts are not named separately; call (800) 827-1000.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities who do not meet SAH criteria, covering home modifications in general. Stair lifts are not named; call (800) 827-1000.
A VA health-benefit grant for enrolled veterans whose medical condition requires changes to the home for access to care, applied for with VA Form 10-0103. The source does not list stair lifts or a dollar cap, so confirm with VA at (800) 827-1000.
Older adults
330 East 100 South, Roosevelt, 84066
Veterans
1050 Market Drive, Vernal, 84078
The Utah Medicaid Aging Waiver, for people 65 or older, includes Environmental Accessibility Adaptations, but the source does not name stair lifts. Ask your case manager whether a lift qualifies. The Physical Disabilities Waiver does not cover stair lifts.
Yes, depending on the situation. The UBAOG CDBG and Olene Walker programs set limits by income and home ownership, not by age. The Physical Disabilities Waiver serves adults 18 or older, though it does not pay for stair lifts, and VA grants depend on service-connected disability rather than age.
The Uintah Basin AAA is at 330 East 100 South in Roosevelt, 84066. The phone is (435) 722-4518, and it serves Uintah County residents for the Alternatives Program and housing rehabilitation programs.
Yes. The CDBG Housing Rehabilitation Program and the Olene Walker loans are for owner-occupied single-family homes in Daggett, Duchesne or Uintah County, with household income at or below 80% of Area Median Income.
The Utah Department of Veterans & Military Affairs has an office at 1050 Market Drive in Vernal, phone (385) 450-3945. The VA itself can be reached at (800) 827-1000 about the SAH, SHA and HISA grants.
No. Short straight flights often take straight lifts, and stairs that turn at a landing usually need a curved lift built to fit. We measure each flight during the home visit to sort out which one works.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
