From Oak Harbor and Coupeville on Whidbey Island to Camano, Freeland, Clinton and Langley, a lot of Island County homes sit on sloped ground above Puget Sound. That usually means stairs between the street, the front door and the main living floor, and often more stairs inside.
This page walks through how the county's homes and terrain shape the stair lift choice, and which programs may help cover the cost. Island County has 7 towns and a population of 50,572, and 23.3% of residents are 65 or older, so these questions come up in many households.
Many homes here were built on bluffs and sloped waterfront lots, like the terrain around Fort Ebey State Park. Split-level and daylight-basement designs are common on that kind of land. Short runs of stairs between levels can each need their own look, and a landing that turns usually calls for a curved lift instead of a straight one.
Ranch-style homes often have fewer interior stairs, but the trouble can start outside. When steps run from the driveway down to the entry, an outdoor stair lift built for weather exposure may be the better fit. Where a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift is worth discussing.
Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve on Whidbey Island preserves 19th- and early-20th-century farmhouses and townhomes. Older homes like these often have narrow or steep staircases to a second floor, so we measure width, pitch and the top and bottom landings before recommending a model.
Newer single-family homes, townhouses and low-rise buildings tend to have straighter, more standard stairs. A straight stair lift is usually the simpler install in those cases. In a townhouse or shared building, check with the association about any rules before work starts.
Census figures show 13.6% of Island County households have someone 65 or older living alone. For an adult child living off the island, a lift on the main staircase can be the difference between a parent staying put and needing to move.
Ownership matters because some grants, including the VA housing grants listed below, require it.
Whidbey Island has no bridge at its southern end. The Mukilteo to Clinton and Port Townsend to Coupeville (Keystone) ferry routes serve the island, along with the Deception Pass bridge to Skagit County in the north. State Routes 20, 525 and 532 connect the rest.
If family members are coming from the mainland to sit in on a home visit, it helps to plan around ferry times. Having everyone there at once makes it easier to agree on placement and which side of the stairs the rail should go.
Several programs may help. WA Cares Fund and the COPES Medicaid waiver both list home modifications as a covered benefit, and the Northwest Access Fund names stairlift installation directly in its loan program. Veterans with a qualifying service-connected disability can look at the VA housing grants.
Other local resources, such as the Northwest Regional Council caregiver program and the Island County Veterans' Assistance Fund, do not list stair lifts. They may still help in other ways, so a phone call is worth it. Details for each program are below.
A state long-term care benefit of up to $36,500 lifetime (2026, grows with inflation) for vested Washington workers who need help with at least 3 Activities of Daily Living. Home modifications are an explicit covered category; call (844) 227-3492.
A Washington Apple Health waiver for adults 18+ who qualify for nursing-facility-level care but stay at home, and it covers environmental modifications that support health, safety and independence. Apply through DSHS Home and Community Services at (360) 725-2300.
Supports unpaid family caregivers 18+ caring for someone 60+, or for a person of any age with Alzheimer's disease or dementia, with training, supplies, equipment and respite. Stair lifts are not listed; call (360) 676-6749.
A free volunteer service for Camano Island residents 60+ or with a functional disability, offering yard care, errands, dog walking and light housekeeping. Stair lifts and home modifications are not listed; referrals go through NWRC at (360) 428-1309 and program questions to (360) 387-0222.
A county emergency fund for eligible low-income veterans covering food, rent, utilities, medical and burial costs, plus help with VA claims. Stair lifts are not listed, but you can ask the Veteran Services Officer at (360) 632-2496 whether a request could be considered.
Federal grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities: SAH up to $126,526, SHA up to $25,350, and TRA up to $50,961 or $9,100 (FY2026). The VA lists stair lifts as covered for these accessibility modifications, and SAH and SHA require home ownership.
A nonprofit loan of up to $60,000 over up to 10 years for Washington residents of any age with a disability, including age-related limitations, and installation of stairlifts is named directly. Call (206) 328-5116 or toll-free 877-428-5116.
Older adults
600 Lakeway Drive, Suite 100, Bellingham, 98225
Veterans
105 NW 1st Street, Coupeville, 98239
WA Cares Fund lists home modifications as a covered benefit, up to a $36,500 lifetime benefit in 2026. You need to have paid in and met the vesting rules, and have a documented need for help with at least 3 Activities of Daily Living. Call (844) 227-3492 to check.
Yes. The Northwest Access Fund lends to Washington residents of any age with a disability, and COPES serves Apple Health recipients 18 and older who qualify for nursing-facility-level care.
Often, yes. Outdoor stair lifts are built for exposed stairs, and sloped lots like these are common across Island County. We look at the run, any turns and the landings during a home visit.
Island County Veterans Services is at 105 NW 1st Street, Coupeville, 98239, phone (360) 632-2496. They can help with VA claims, and veterans with a qualifying service-connected disability may look into the SAH, SHA or TRA grants.
No. The program provides yard care, errands, dog walking and light housekeeping, and it does not list home modifications. It can still be a useful support alongside a lift.
The NW Regional Council AAA, at 600 Lakeway Drive, Suite 100, Bellingham, 98225. Call (360) 676-6749.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
