Rigby, the county seat, grew from 3,945 people in 2010 to 5,038 in the 2020 census. Drive out toward Ririe, Menan, Roberts, Mud Lake or Lewisville and you see the other side of Jefferson County: small agricultural towns where newer single-family houses sit near older farmhouses. Those two kinds of homes often call for different stair lifts, so it helps to know what you are working with before anyone measures.
Jefferson County is young overall, with 11.6% of residents age 65 and older, and 68.8% of households own their home. That means many families here are planning for a parent or grandparent rather than for themselves. This page walks through how local homes affect the choice of lift and which programs may help with the cost.
Much of the recent growth around Rigby has been newer single-family construction. These houses usually have one straight run of stairs between floors, and a straight stair lift is the simplest and least costly type to fit on that kind of staircase.
Older farmhouses in the smaller towns can be a different story. Stairs that turn, have a landing partway up, or were built before modern codes often need a curved lift, which is made to follow the exact shape of the staircase. We measure every staircase in person before recommending one or the other.
Split-level homes are common in the county's housing mix, and they bring short half-flights between levels. Depending on which floors someone uses each day, that can mean one lift on the main half-flight or two separate straight lifts rather than one long curved rail.
Townhouses tend to have narrow straight stairs, which usually suit a slim straight lift with a seat that folds up out of the way. In a walk-up apartment, the stairs are often shared, so the building owner has to agree before anything is installed, and some financial programs only pay for changes to a home you own.
Jefferson County covers about 1,094 square miles, and in a rural, spread-out county the front porch or back steps can be as big a barrier as the inside staircase. Outdoor stair lifts use weather-resistant parts and covers built for exposed steps.
For someone who uses a wheelchair, a chair-style lift is not enough. A platform lift carries the person and the chair together, and it needs more room at the top and bottom of the steps, so we check clearances during the visit.
The local office is Jefferson County Social & Veterans Services – Veteran Services at 210 Courthouse Way, Suite 110, Rigby, ID 83442, phone (208) 745-9223.
Be aware that the VA's HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The larger VA housing grants for severe service-connected disabilities do not name stair lifts either, so ask the veterans office before you count on VA money for a lift.
None of the programs listed below confirms in its own published material that it pays for stair lifts. Several do fund home modifications or accessibility work in general, so the right move is to call and ask how they would treat a stair lift in your situation.
For people 60 and older, a good first call is AAA East through EICAP at (208) 542-8179. The Area VI AAA office at 420 N. Holmes Ave., Idaho Falls, ID 83401, can also be reached at (208) 522-5391. Low-income homeowners age 62 and up in this rural county may also want to look at the USDA Section 504 program, and people with a disability of any age can ask about the IATP loan.
This Medicaid waiver benefit covers installations or modifications needed for medical equipment in the participant's owned principal residence, for people 65+ or with a qualifying disability who need a nursing-facility level of care and meet income and asset limits. The rule does not name stair lifts, so call (877) 456-1233 to ask.
AAA East serves adults 60+ in Jefferson County with information, in-home services and referrals rather than direct equipment grants; stair lift funding is not listed. Call (208) 542-8179 to ask about home-modification referrals.
HISA provides a lifetime benefit of $6,800 for qualifying service-connected disabilities or $2,000 for other qualifying disabilities, with a VA physician's prescription. The VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts; questions go to (800) 827-1000.
For veterans with severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home, SAH offers up to $126,526 for FY2026 across up to 6 adaptations. Stair lifts are not listed among its examples; call (800) 827-1000.
SHA offers up to $25,350 for FY2026 across up to 6 adaptations to an owned home for veterans with qualifying disabilities such as loss of use of both hands or severe burns. Stair lifts are not specifically named.
Very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas, including Jefferson County, can get 1% loans up to $40,000, and those 62+ who cannot repay a loan can get grants up to $10,000. Accessibility items like ramps are covered, but stair lifts are not named.
IATP lends up to $60,000 at about 5% APR with no origination fees to Idahoans with a disability or their family members, and lists building modifications for accessibility as an eligible use. Stair lifts are not named on its page; call (800) 432-8324.
LIFE offers advocacy, skills training, referrals, peer support and assistive technology help from its office at 985 Capital Avenue in Idaho Falls, about 15 miles from Rigby. No stair lift funding is listed, so call (208) 529-8610 to ask.
This program funds energy-conservation and health and safety repairs for households under income limits, such as $31,300 a year for one person. It does not mention stair lifts or accessibility work; call (208) 522-5391 for details.
Older adults
420 N. Holmes Ave., Idaho Falls, 83401
Veterans
210 Courthouse Way, Suite 110, Rigby, 83442
The A&D waiver's Environmental Accessibility Adaptations benefit covers modifications needed for medical equipment in a home you own, but the rule does not name stair lifts. Call (877) 456-1233 to ask whether a lift would qualify for your family member.
No. The VA lists stair glides and porch lifts among items HISA does not cover. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either, so talk with the county veterans office at (208) 745-9223 before planning around VA funds.
AAA East serves people 60 and older, but the IATP loan has no age requirement and is open to Idahoans with a disability or their family members. LIFE, A Center for Independent Living in Idaho Falls also works with people with disabilities of any age.
Yes, Jefferson County is a qualifying rural area. You must own and live in the home and have very low income, and the grant portion is for homeowners 62 and older who cannot afford to repay a loan.
It is possible with the owner's permission, since shared or rented stairs belong to the landlord. Keep in mind the Medicaid waiver benefit is limited to an owned principal residence, with only portable modifications allowed for renters.
It depends on which half-flights the person uses daily. Often one straight lift on the main half-flight is enough, and sometimes two straight lifts work better than a single curved one. We decide after measuring.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
