From Blackfoot and Shelley to Aberdeen, Firth and Basalt, most homes in Bingham County sit on the flat Snake River Plain, with East Butte and Middle Butte rising off to the side. Many are farmhouses and rural properties, and the county's nine towns are spread across a wide agricultural belt where the nearest neighbor can be a good drive away.
That rural setting shapes how a stair lift gets planned here. A family in Moreland, Groveland, Riverside or Rockford often wants a parent to stay in the house they have owned for decades, and the stairs are usually the one thing standing in the way. This page walks through the homes we see, the lift types that fit them, and the programs that may help with cost.
Housing here is mostly single-family homes, detached houses and ranch-style homes, with some split-level homes and walk-up apartments in the towns. According to the 2020 Census, 76.4% of homes in the county were owner-occupied. That matters, because an owner can approve an installation without waiting on a landlord.
A ranch-style farmhouse may have most of its living space on one floor, but the stairs that remain, to a basement or up to a porch, can still be a daily obstacle. A straight stair lift handles a single straight flight. If the steps are outside, an outdoor lift built for weather is the better fit.
Split-level homes are a different job. They usually have short runs between several levels, so we look at whether one curved lift can follow the turns or whether two straight lifts make more sense. Measuring each flight is the only way to know.
In walk-up apartments, the stairs are often shared. The building owner needs to sign off before anything is mounted, so get that conversation started early. Where stairs simply will not work, a platform lift can be an option worth asking about.
The 2020 Census counted 59.7% of Bingham County residents living in rural areas. Out on a farm property, a fall on the stairs is harder to deal with when help is far away. That is often the reason families call us before a problem, not after.
About 14.0% of the county's 24,946 residents are 65 or older, and many of them still live on the land they worked. A stair lift lets someone keep using every floor of a home without moving into town.
The Bingham County Veterans Service Office is at 501 North Maple Street, Room 207, in Blackfoot, and can be reached at (208) 782-3097. They can explain which VA benefits apply to your situation.
Be aware that the VA HISA benefit specifically excludes stair glides, so it will not pay for a stair lift. The SAH and SHA grants are larger, but their source material does not mention stair lifts, so ask the VA directly before counting on them.
None of the programs listed below name stair lifts directly, except HISA, which rules them out. Still, several fund home repairs, assistive devices or accessibility changes, and a phone call is the fastest way to find out whether your project qualifies.
For older residents, the Area V AAA at 214 E. Center in Pocatello, (208) 233-4032, is a good first call. Rural, very-low-income homeowners may also look at the USDA Section 504 program, and owners who cannot get a regular bank loan can ask NeighborWorks Pocatello about its home improvement loan.
A state Medicaid waiver for Idaho residents who are 65 or older or have a qualifying disability and meet Medicaid income and resource limits. It lists environmental accessibility adaptations as a covered service, but the source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications by name.
Area V serves seniors and disabled residents of seven southeast Idaho counties, including Bingham, and runs an assistive devices loan program. Stair lifts are not mentioned in the source; call (208) 233-4032 to ask.
A home improvement loan for owner-occupants in Bannock, Bingham and Power Counties who cannot get traditional financing. The source does not mention stair lifts or accessibility work; call (208) 232-9468.
Federal loans up to $20,000 and grants up to $7,500 for elderly very-low-income homeowners, with combined loan and grant help up to $27,500 when certain criteria are met. Funds repair homes and remove health and safety hazards; stair lifts are not named in the source.
A VA benefit for disabled veterans with a documented medical need, capped at $6,800 for service-connected disabilities or $2,000 for non-service-connected disabilities. Stair glides are explicitly excluded, so this does not cover stair lifts.
Up to $126,526 for FY2026 for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home. The source mentions ramps and wider doorways but does not discuss stair lifts.
Up to $25,350 for FY2026 for veterans or qualifying family members with disabilities such as loss of use of both hands. Stair lifts are not mentioned in the source.
A nonprofit serving people with disabilities in southeast Idaho, with a Blackfoot office at 207 South Broadway Suite A. The source does not say whether stair lifts or home modifications are covered; call (208) 785-9648.
A University of Idaho program offering low-interest loans for assistive technology to Idaho residents with disabilities. Stair lifts are not named in the source; call (208) 885-6097.
Older adults
214 E. Center, Pocatello, 83201
Veterans
501 North Maple Street, Room 207, Blackfoot, 83221
Yes. LIFE, Inc. has an office at 207 South Broadway Suite A in Blackfoot, (208) 785-9648, and the Bingham County Veterans Service Office is at 501 North Maple Street, Room 207, (208) 782-3097.
Not through HISA, which explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts in their source material, so check with the Bingham County Veterans Service Office before planning around them.
Yes. Area V serves Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, Caribou, Franklin, Oneida and Power counties. Call (208) 233-4032.
The Idaho Medicaid Aged and Disabled waiver serves people 65 and older who meet income and resource limits, and it covers environmental accessibility adaptations. The source does not name stair lifts, so ask whether your project qualifies.
Split-levels often have short flights between several levels. Depending on the layout, that can mean one curved lift or more than one straight lift, which we decide after measuring each flight.
Possibly, but shared stairs belong to the building owner, who must approve the installation first.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
