Wicomico County sits on Maryland's Eastern Shore, where the land is mostly flat and the highest ground reaches only 98 feet. Across its 10 towns, from Salisbury and Fruitland to Delmar, Pittsville, Hebron, Willards, Sharptown, Mardela Springs, Nanticoke and Powellville, you will find single-family homes, townhouses, split-level homes, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings.
Flat land does not mean a stair-free house. Many older in-town homes and farmhouse-era houses here still put the bedrooms and the only full bath on the second floor. This page walks through how those homes affect the kind of stair lift that fits, and where Wicomico County families can look for help paying for one.
Salisbury, the county seat, counted 15,062 housing units in the 2020 census. The stock mixes older in-town homes near the historic downtown, where landmarks like Poplar Hill Mansion and Pemberton Hall stand, with more modern single-family construction. As recently as 2005, 324 new single-family homes were built locally.
Vintage multi-story houses often have narrower staircases, landings or turns. A turn or landing usually calls for a curved rail built to the exact shape of the stairs. A single straight run, more common in newer construction, can usually take a straight stair lift, which is simpler to fit.
Before anything else, we measure the stair width, the number of steps and whether there is room at the top and bottom for someone to get on and off safely.
Split-level homes are common in the county and bring their own puzzle. Instead of one long flight, there are often two or three short runs between levels. Each short run may need its own lift, or the layout may suit one rail more than another, so it helps to decide which levels the person really needs to reach every day.
Townhouses tend to have one straight, steep flight, which often suits a straight lift well. Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings are different: the stairs are usually shared space, so the building owner has to agree before anything is installed. With 39.4% of households in the county owning their homes, a lot of residents rent, and that permission step is worth sorting out early.
The county covers about 400 square miles, 374 of land and 26 of water, and is generally flat with a few small hills in the northeast. That keeps steep yard grades and long driveway slopes uncommon, which is good news for anyone with limited mobility.
Front porch and entry steps are another matter. Where a few exterior steps are the only barrier, an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can make the door usable again. Outdoor units are built for weather exposure, and a platform lift is the better fit if the person uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat.
For many of these households, the question is whether the current house can work for another stretch of years or whether a single-level layout makes more sense.
If the stairs are the main obstacle and the rest of the home works, a stair lift is often the smaller change. If there are several barriers on top of the stairs, it is worth talking through all of them before choosing.
None of the programs listed below names stair lifts in its published material, so each one should be asked directly. Some fund home modifications or accessibility adaptations in general, and a stair lift may or may not qualify depending on the person and the plan.
A good first call is MAC, Inc. in Salisbury at (410) 742-0505, the Area Agency on Aging for the Lower Shore. Veterans can reach the W. Paul Martin Multi-Service Center Veterans Service Office at (410) 543-6675. Statewide, it is also worth asking about Accessible Homes for Seniors, the Maryland Assistive Technology Loan Program, and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics).
A federal grant of up to $126,526 for a permanent home (FY2026) for veterans and service members with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or plan to own the home; VA's page does not mention stair lifts. Call the W. Paul Martin Multi-Service Center Veterans Service Office at (410) 543-6675 for help applying.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 for a permanent home (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, and the home may be owned by the veteran or a family member. Stair lifts are not mentioned in the program description, so ask the Veterans Service Office at (410) 543-6675.
A Maryland Medicaid benefit for full Medicaid enrollees who need an institutional level of care and live in the community; it lists accessibility adaptations but does not name stair lifts. Call (844) 627-5465 to ask whether a stair lift counts.
A Medicaid waiver for adults 18 and older who need nursing-facility level of care, with income and asset limits and a waitlist registry; its published services do not mention home modifications or stair lifts. Call (844) 627-5465 to confirm what is available.
The Area Agency on Aging serving older adults and adults with disabilities in Wicomico County, located at 909 Progress Circle in Salisbury; its stair lift or home modification offerings are not confirmed. Call (410) 742-0505 to ask about home modification, minor home repair, options counseling and Medicaid waiver registry help.
Older adults
909 Progress Circle, Salisbury, 21804
Veterans
201 Baptist Street, Suite 28, Salisbury, 21801
Usually, yes. A staircase with a landing or turn generally needs a curved rail made to fit those stairs. We measure the width, the turns and the space at the top and bottom to confirm what will work.
It depends on how the levels connect and which ones the person uses daily. Split-levels often have two or three short runs, so we look at the whole layout before recommending one lift or more.
Shared stairs in walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings belong to the building owner, so you will need the owner's approval first. Getting that agreement before planning saves time.
Neither Community First Choice nor the Community Options Waiver names stair lifts in its published material. Community First Choice does list accessibility adaptations, so call (844) 627-5465 and ask whether a stair lift qualifies in your case.
The VA SAH and SHA grants fund home adaptations for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, though stair lifts are not named. The W. Paul Martin Multi-Service Center Veterans Service Office at 201 Baptist Street, Suite 28, Salisbury, can help; call (410) 543-6675.
MAC, Inc., the Area Agency on Aging for the Lower Shore, at (410) 742-0505. They are at 909 Progress Circle in Salisbury and can point you toward options counseling and other programs.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
