From the river-valley slopes around Hudson, North Hudson and Somerset to the flatter farm country out toward Baldwin, Woodville and Glenwood City, St. Croix County has a lot of homes built on more than one level. Split-level and multi-story houses are common in the communities along the St. Croix River, and the county's growth as part of the Twin Cities commuter belt added plenty of one- and two-story construction.
For many families here, the question is less about moving and more about making the current house work. Below we walk through how local homes affect the type of stair lift you would need, and which programs in St. Croix County and Wisconsin may help with the cost.
St. Croix County covers about 736 square miles along the Minnesota border, with the St. Croix River forming its west edge. Near the river, slopes are steeper and split-level and multi-story homes are common.
A split-level often has short flights between landings, and sometimes a turn. If the stairs run straight from bottom to top, a straight rail is usually the simpler and quicker install. If there is a landing with a turn, or the stairs wrap around a corner, you are looking at a curved rail built to fit that specific staircase.
Further east, in places like Roberts, Hammond, Deer Park and Star Prairie, the land flattens into farmland. Homes there may have a single flight to a basement or a second floor, and that is where a straight lift tends to fit well.
A county housing needs assessment by the West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission found that seniors here lack options to downsize into smaller, accessible housing. The rental vacancy rate fell to 1.4% and the homeowner vacancy rate fell to zero in 2023.
In plain terms, there is very little to move into. About 14.9% of county residents are 65 or older, and 67.1% of households own their home, so many people are adapting the house they already have rather than searching for a single-level one.
Hudson does have classic single-story ranch homes and cottage-style housing, and some newer developments are building zero-step-entry ranch homes. Those are a good fit if you can find one, but for a multi-level house, a stair lift is often the practical way to keep using every floor.
Local housing also includes townhouses, duplexes and walk-up apartments alongside single-family and detached houses. Townhouses often have narrow interior stairs, which we measure carefully to leave room for others using the same steps.
In a duplex or walk-up apartment with shared stairs, the building owner has to be part of the decision. If you rent, talk with your landlord before scheduling a home visit.
On sloped lots near the river, the climb sometimes starts outside, with steps up to the front door or down to a walkout level. Outdoor stair lifts are built for weather, and for a short rise at a porch, a platform lift can be an option for someone who uses a wheelchair.
We look at the whole path from the driveway to the main living floor before recommending one lift, so you are not solving the inside stairs and still stuck at the front steps.
The local housing assessment noted that housing costs here have risen faster than incomes, which makes it hard for seniors on fixed incomes to pay for modifications like stair lifts out of pocket. That makes the funding programs worth a close look.
The two programs that name stair lifts as a covered item are IRIS and Family Care, both Wisconsin Medicaid waivers. The St. Croix County ADRC at 1752 Dorset Lane in New Richmond is the local access point for both. Call (715) 381-4360 to start.
Note that the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides, so ask St. Croix County Veterans Services at (715) 386-4759 about other VA options. Statewide lists also include the Community Options Program (COP), WisLoan (WisTech Alternative Loan Program) and the WHEDA Home Improvement Loan Program (HILP); the ADRC can tell you whether any of them fit your situation.
A self-directed Medicaid waiver for people 65+, or 18-64 with a qualifying disability, who need a nursing facility level of care; home modifications including stair lifts are covered, and items over $1,000 need an Accessibility Assessment Request Form and an independent assessor visit. Call (888) 515-4747.
A Medicaid managed care program where a managed care organization sets an individualized care plan; its home modification benefit lists stair lifts, ramps and wheelchair lifts. Call (715) 381-4360.
Free information, benefits counseling and long-term-care options counseling for adults 60+ and adults with disabilities, located at 1752 Dorset Lane, New Richmond; it does not list a stair lift benefit itself but is the local intake point for IRIS and Family Care. Call (715) 381-4360.
Repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest, and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62+ with very-low income in eligible rural areas; the program mentions accessibility changes like wheelchair ramps but does not name stair lifts. Call (715) 345-7611.
A VA grant for permanent alterations such as ramps and roll-in showers, up to $6,800 or $2,000 depending on disability status; it does not cover stair lifts, which it excludes as stair glides. Call (800) 827-1000.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or remodel a home for accessibility, up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) in FY2026; the VA page does not name stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
Free urgent repairs, including accessibility modifications, for homeowners in Pierce and St. Croix counties at 40-80% of Area Median Income, with a materials budget up to $3,300 per project; stair lifts are not named specifically. Call (715) 318-9122.
A free program providing energy-efficiency upgrades and home-safety improvements for WHEAP enrollees in St. Croix County and nearby counties; stair lifts are not named. Call (715) 598-4750.
Information, referral, peer support and advocacy for people with disabilities, listed at 2920 Schneider Avenue East, Menomonie; no stair lift benefit was found. Call (715) 233-1070.
Older adults
1752 Dorset Lane, New Richmond, 54017
Veterans
1752 Dorset Lane, New Richmond, 54017
It can. Both IRIS and Family Care list stair lifts as a covered home modification for people who meet the nursing facility level of care screen and Medicaid financial rules. Start with the St. Croix County ADRC at (715) 381-4360.
No. IRIS is an entitlement waiver, so meeting the eligibility rules guarantees benefits without a waitlist. For modifications over $1,000, an independent assessor visit is required before the item is added to your plan.
Yes. IRIS and Family Care both accept adults 18-64 with a qualifying physical, developmental or intellectual disability who need a nursing facility level of care.
The HISA grant does not; it excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants fund accessibility remodeling for certain severe service-connected disabilities but do not name stair lifts. Call St. Croix County Veterans Services at (715) 386-4759 to talk through your options.
The St. Croix County ADRC is at 1752 Dorset Lane, New Richmond, WI 54017. St. Croix County Veterans Services is at the same address.
Usually, yes. A straight run between levels takes a straight rail, and stairs with a landing turn need a curved rail made for that staircase. We measure on site to tell you which one fits.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
