From Princess Anne and Eden to Crisfield, Deal Island and Smith Island, Somerset County is low, wet country. It is Maryland's southernmost county on the Eastern Shore, and about 48% of its 610 square miles is water, bordered by the Chesapeake Bay and Pocomoke Sound.
That shapes the homes here. Much of the housing is older and modest, often single-story wood-frame houses, with some historic properties and a mix of townhouses and low-rise buildings. This page covers what that means for a stair lift and which programs can help with the cost.
Many homes in the county are older single-story houses typical of the rural Eastern Shore. In a one-level house, the stairs that cause trouble are often the steps up to the front or back door, not an indoor staircase. An outdoor lift or a platform lift is usually the fit for that.
Two-story single-family homes, detached houses and townhouses with one straight run of stairs can usually take a straight stair lift. Stairs with a landing, a turn or a curve need a curved rail built to that staircase, which takes longer to make.
In Princess Anne and Crisfield, housing tends to be older wood-frame construction. Older stairs can be narrow or out of square, so we measure each one before recommending a model.
Part of downtown Crisfield was built on old oyster-shell fill left from the seafood-packing industry. That can leave soft, uneven foundations, which complicates planning for both stair lifts and ramps in some homes. We check how the stairs and floor are supported before anything gets mounted.
Crisfield sits at about 3.3 feet of elevation and floods again and again. Hurricane Sandy's 2012 storm surge left most of the city underwater. If your home floods, it is worth thinking about which floor holds the bedroom and bathroom, and how you get from the yard to the door, before choosing a lift.
At the 2020 Census, 18.6% of Somerset County residents were 65 or older, and 59.7% lived in rural areas. Of the county's 10,895 housing units that year, 64.9% were owner-occupied, so many older residents own the home they would be adapting.
There are no VA facilities listed in the county, but the Department of Veterans Affairs office for the area is in Salisbury at (800) 446-4926.
Median household income in the county was $64,943 in 2024 estimates, and the poverty rate was 16.4%. For a lot of families here, a grant, loan or Medicaid benefit will matter more than paying out of pocket.
Maryland Medicaid's environmental adaptations benefit is the one program on this list whose source covers stair lifts. The others cover home modifications or accessibility work in general without naming stair lifts, so ask each one directly. MAC, Inc. at (410) 742-0505 is a good first call to sort out which programs fit your situation.
Covers stair lifts for Medicaid recipients in these programs who need an institutional level of care, up to $15,780 for adaptations and technology over a rolling three-year period, after an occupational therapist's assessment and Maryland Dept. of Health pre-authorization. Call (410) 767-6500.
A zero percent interest, deferred loan with a 30-year term for senior homeowners making accessibility improvements; the source does not mention stair lifts by name. In Somerset County it is offered through MAC, Inc. at (410) 742-0505.
1% loans up to $20,000 for very low-income rural homeowners, and grants up to $7,500 for those 62 and older, combinable up to $27,500 for repairs and home modifications; stair lifts are not named in the source. Call (302) 857-3580.
A state tax credit of up to 50% of the cost of an accessibility renovation, capped at $5,000, for your own home, a family member's home or a rental property. The source does not mention stair lifts specifically.
Up to $126,526 for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, such as loss of use of both legs, who own or plan to own the home; the source does not name stair lifts. Call (410) 230-4444.
Up to $25,350 for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, such as loss of use of both hands, who own or plan to own the home; stair lifts are not named in the source. Call (410) 230-4444.
Below-market, fixed-rate loans from $500 to $70,000 for Maryland residents with disabilities or family borrowing for them, with unsecured home modification loans up to $20,000; stair lifts are not named in the source. Call (410) 554-9230.
A nonprofit serving all 8 Eastern Shore counties, including Somerset, with information, referrals and a Durable Medical Equipment Program; stair lift coverage is not listed. Call (443) 260-0822.
The Area Agency on Aging for Somerset County, offering home modification information and referral to residents 65 and older; it is a referral point, not a funder, and stair lifts are not listed. Call (410) 742-0505.
Older adults
909 Progress Circle, Salisbury, 21804
Veterans
Lower Shore One-Stop Job Market, Suite 1n917 Mt. Herman Road, Salisbury, MD 21804, Salisbury, 21804
It can, if the person is enrolled in Community First Choice, the Community Options Waiver or Increased Community Supports and needs an institutional level of care. The lift must come from an occupational therapist's assessment and be pre-authorized by the Maryland Dept. of Health, within a $15,780 limit over three years. Call (410) 767-6500.
Yes. The USDA Section 504 loan is open to very low-income rural homeowners of any age, and the Maryland Assistive Technology Loan Program serves Maryland residents with disabilities regardless of age. The USDA grant portion starts at age 62, and MAC, Inc. referrals are for people 65 and older.
The Maryland Independent Living Tax Credit applies to a family member's home as well as your own, at up to 50% of the renovation cost with a $5,000 cap. The source does not name stair lifts, so confirm before you count on it.
Often, but it takes more planning. Part of downtown Crisfield was built on oyster-shell fill, which can leave soft, uneven foundations, so we check how the stairs and floor are supported before choosing and mounting a lift.
Many homes in the county are single-story, and the hard part is the entry steps. An outdoor lift or a platform lift usually fits that better than an indoor model, and we can look at it during a home visit.
The Department of Veterans Affairs office for the area is in Salisbury at (800) 446-4926. For the SAH and SHA housing grants, the VA Regional Office number is (410) 230-4444.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
