From the flat grid of San Jose, Sunnyvale and Milpitas to the slopes above Los Gatos, Saratoga and Los Altos Hills, Santa Clara County covers 23 towns and a wide range of homes. The Santa Clara Valley sits in the middle, with the Santa Cruz Mountains to the south and west and the Diablo Range to the northeast. Mount Hamilton tops out at 4,216 ft.
That mix of valley floor and hillside matters when you are deciding on a stair lift. A two-story house in Campbell or Santa Clara usually needs something different than a split-level home on a foothill lot in East Foothills or Lexington Hills. This page walks through what fits where and which local and statewide programs may help with the cost.
Single-family detached homes make up 51.06% of housing units in the county, a higher share than the average of other jurisdictions in the region. Most interior staircases in these houses run straight from one floor to the next. A straight stair lift rides a rail bolted to the stair treads, not the wall, and is usually the simplest install.
Up in the foothills, many homes sit on slopes with multi-level or stepped entries. Stairs that turn at a landing or wrap around a corner call for a curved lift with a custom-bent rail. If the steps from the driveway or porch to the front door are the real problem, an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift may be the better answer.
Single-family attached homes add another 10.11% of units, and between 2010 and 2020 multi-family units grew faster than single-family ones. Townhouses and duplexes often have narrow, steep stairs between living space and bedrooms. A straight lift with a folding seat and footrest can work on many of these staircases while leaving room for others to walk past.
In condominiums and low-rise apartments, the stairs that cause trouble are sometimes outside the unit. Before planning anything, we look at who owns the stairway and whether an exterior or platform lift is even an option at that building.
About 14.3% of the county's 1,868,696 residents are 65 or older, and 55.3% of households own their homes. Per the 2020 census, about 7.5% of the county's roughly 656,063 households had someone aged 65 or older living alone.
With a 2020 median household income of $130,890, the third-highest in the nation, many longtime owners have built real equity in their homes. For a lot of families, a stair lift is weighed against selling and moving out of an expensive market. Keeping one floor of the house reachable can be the difference between staying and leaving.
Many families here pay privately, but there are programs worth checking first. The Medi-Cal Home and Community-Based Alternatives (HCBA) Waiver is the one most clearly tied to stair lifts, though it currently has a waitlist. Others focus on smaller repairs like grab bars and ramps, or on referrals.
For local guidance, Council on Aging Silicon Valley (PSA 10) is at 2115 The Alameda, San Jose 95126, phone (408) 296-8290. Sourcewise can also refer you to residential lift equipment resources. Statewide options to ask about include the Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP) and the FreedomTech Low-Interest Assistive Technology Loan. Details on each county program are listed below.
There is no VA facility listed for the county in our records, but the Santa Clara County Office of Veterans Services at 68 North Winchester Boulevard, Santa Clara 95050, can help with claims. Call (408) 918-4980.
Veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities may be eligible for VA Specially Adapted Housing or Special Home Adaptation grants. VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics) is another statewide option to ask about.
A statewide Medi-Cal waiver for people who need a nursing-facility level of care but want to stay home; home modifications are covered, stair lifts are a standard adaptation, and there is no individual cost limit. The program hit its maximum slots in 2023 so a waitlist applies, but you should still apply by calling (800) 776-5746.
An optional Medi-Cal managed-care benefit that pays for physical home adaptations for members at risk of nursing-facility placement; stair lifts are not listed in the sources we checked. Ask your health plan, such as Santa Clara Family Health Plan, which items and limits apply.
An information and referral agency for older adults, adults with disabilities and caregivers; it gives no direct grant for stair lifts but lists referral categories including Residential Lift Equipment and Home Barrier Evaluation/Removal Services. Call (408) 350-3200 to speak with a Community Resource Specialist.
A no-cost repair and accessibility program for owner-occupants with household income below 80% of Area Median Income, covering work like grab bars, half steps, ramps and doorway widening; stair lifts are not listed. Call (408) 578-9519, with applications available in English, Spanish, Chinese (Simplified) and Vietnamese.
No-cost repairs for low-income homeowners inside Gilroy's incorporated city limits, including grab bars, low-rise steps and handrails; stair lifts are not listed. Call (408) 578-9519.
Offers limited funding for minor home modifications such as grab bars or ramps, plus an assistive-technology device-lending program; stair lifts are not listed. Call (408) 894-9041 to reach the AT specialist.
Federal grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities to buy, build or change a home, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026; stair lifts are not named on the source page. Apply with VA Form 26-4555 or call (800) 827-1000.
Older adults
2115 The Alameda, San Jose, 95126
Veterans
68 North Winchester Boulevard, Santa Clara, 95050
It can through the Medi-Cal Home and Community-Based Alternatives (HCBA) Waiver, which covers home modifications with no individual cost limit for people who meet a nursing-facility level of care. There is a waitlist since the program reached its maximum slots in 2023, so apply early at (800) 776-5746.
Many foothill homes in the county have multi-level or stepped entries. An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can handle exterior steps, and a curved lift is used where interior stairs turn at a landing.
Yes. The City of Gilroy Repair and Accessibility Modification Program offers no-cost repairs like grab bars, handrails and low-rise steps to low-income homeowners inside city limits. Stair lifts are not listed, so call (408) 578-9519 to ask what your home qualifies for.
Sourcewise typically serves people 60 and older but also serves adults with disabilities and caregivers. The Silicon Valley Independent Living Center serves people with disabilities of all ages at (408) 894-9041.
The Santa Clara County Office of Veterans Services in Santa Clara can help at (408) 918-4980. VA Specially Adapted Housing and Special Home Adaptation grants are handled by the VA at (800) 827-1000.
Most townhouse stairs run straight, which suits a straight stair lift with a folding seat and footrest. We measure the stair width and layout on a home visit before recommending a model.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
