Butts County has three incorporated cities, Jackson, Flovilla and Jenkinsburg, and a lot of open country in between. About 77.6% of residents live in rural areas, even though the county counts as part of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metropolitan statistical area. That mix shows up in the houses, from older homes near the Jackson grid to newer places built for commuters.
Jackson was laid out in 1826 on a 303-acre plot of squares and lots, rebuilt after the Civil War, and later shaped by the railroad and the textile mills. Since the 1970s the county has grown as a bedroom community for the Atlanta area. Each era built stairs differently, and that is what decides which stair lift will work in your home.
Homes near the historic grid in Jackson are more likely to have raised entries and interior stairs typical of their era. Those staircases are often narrow and sometimes turn at a landing. When a staircase turns, a straight rail will not do the job and a curved rail built to the stairs is needed.
Raised entries matter too. If the front or back steps are the harder climb, an outdoor stair lift rated for weather can carry a person from the yard to the porch. We look at both the inside and outside stairs before suggesting anything.
Much of the county's newer suburban-style construction has a single straight flight between floors. That is the simplest setup for a stair lift, since a straight rail mounts to the stair treads and usually goes in quickly.
Split-level homes are different. They have several short flights instead of one long one, so the question is which flight gives you trouble day to day. Townhouses and walk-up apartments often have tight stairwells, and in a walk-up you may need the building owner's permission before anything is attached to shared stairs.
Much of Butts County is unincorporated rural land, and Jackson Lake, created by the Lloyd Shoals dam in 1910, sits mostly within the county. Homes in the country and near the lake can have long exterior steps, decks or porches up off the ground. Those spots call for an outdoor lift, or for a platform lift when someone needs to stay in a wheelchair.
Rural location can also open a door on paying for the work. Some rural tracts outside the incorporated areas are eligible for USDA home-repair help, covered in the next section.
About 15.8% of residents are 65 or older, and the county's median age is 40.2.
Of the 9,437 housing units in the county, 74.1% are owner-occupied. Owning the home matters, because several grant programs below require that you own and live in the house.
None of the programs below names stair lifts in its published materials, so coverage has to be confirmed case by case. That is not a no. It means you should ask directly and get the answer in writing before the lift is ordered.
For people 60 and older, the best first call is Three Rivers AAA at (866) 854-5652, which is also the entry point for CCSP and SOURCE. The Three Rivers Regional Commission AAA office is at 120 North Hill St., Griffin, phone (706) 845-4560. Veterans can reach the Georgia Department of Veterans Service - Griffin Field Office at 837 Memorial Drive, Griffin, phone (770) 412-4074.
The regional information and referral office for older adults and adults with disabilities in Butts County, and the access point for CCSP and SOURCE; a stair lift or home modification benefit is not listed. Call (866) 854-5652.
A Georgia Medicaid waiver that helps frail older and physically disabled residents who meet nursing-facility level of care stay at home; stair lifts and home modifications are not listed. Apply through Three Rivers AAA at (866) 854-5652.
A Georgia Medicaid waiver for adults ages 21-64 with severe physical disabilities or traumatic brain injury; it lists home modifications and specialized medical equipment, but stair lifts are not named. Call (800) 982-0411.
A state grant for Georgians with disabilities who own and live in their home, with $600,000 allocated statewide for FY2026; listed work includes ramps and bathroom changes, and stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (770) 270-6860.
Loans up to $20,000 at 1% fixed interest for very low-income owners in eligible rural areas, plus grants for owners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, including remodeling for accessibility; stair lifts are not named.
Up to $126,526 for a permanent home for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities; stair lifts are not named, so ask the Griffin Field Office at (770) 412-4074.
Up to $25,350 for a permanent home for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities such as loss of use of both hands; stair lifts are not named, so ask the Griffin Field Office at (770) 412-4074.
Older adults
120 North Hill St., P.O. Box 96, Griffin, 30224
Veterans
837 Memorial Drive, Griffin, 30223
Sometimes. Older homes near the historic grid often have interior stairs typical of their era, and if the staircase turns at a landing you will need a curved rail. A measurement at the house settles it.
The Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP) serves adults ages 21-64 with severe physical disabilities or traumatic brain injury who meet Medicaid rules. Call (800) 982-0411 to ask whether a stair lift can count as a home modification.
Neither CCSP/SOURCE nor ICWP lists stair lifts in its published materials. Coverage has to be confirmed case by case, so start with Three Rivers AAA at (866) 854-5652.
It might. Butts County includes USDA-eligible rural tracts outside Jackson, Flovilla and Jenkinsburg, and USDA Section 504 offers loans and, for owners 62 and older who cannot repay, grants. Eligibility depends on your exact address and income.
Call the Georgia Department of Veterans Service - Griffin Field Office at (770) 412-4074. They can help with the VA SAH and SHA grants, which cover home adaptations for qualifying service-connected disabilities.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are built for exterior steps, decks and raised entries, which are common in older homes and rural properties here. A platform lift is the option if the rider needs to stay in a wheelchair.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
