From Frankfort on the Lake Michigan shore to Beulah at the edge of Crystal Lake and the hills around Thompsonville, Benzie County homes sit on glacier-carved ground. Many houses are built into sloped lots, so getting inside can mean climbing exterior steps before you ever reach the interior stairs.
That combination shapes which stair lift makes sense. Below we walk through the local housing, what the terrain means for straight, curved, outdoor and platform lifts, and the agencies in and around Benzie County that may help with the cost.
Benzie County is the smallest county in Michigan by land area, about 320 square miles, with 25 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and 57 inland lakes. Inland from the coast, the land rolls through glacier-carved hills, hamlets and farmland.
On a sloped lot, the front or side entry often has its own run of steps. When we look at a home in Benzie, Lake Ann or Bendon, we check those outside steps as carefully as the staircase inside, because a lift on the interior stairs does not help if the porch steps are the real barrier.
Single-family homes and detached houses with one straight staircase are usually the simplest fit. A straight rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, and works for most standard staircases.
Split-level homes are common here and bring short flights, landings and turns. Those often call for a curved rail built to the exact shape of the stairs, or two straight lifts if the flights are separate. Townhouses and walk-up apartments can have narrow stairwells, so we measure width and clearance at the top and bottom before recommending anything.
For exterior entry steps, an outdoor-rated lift is built to handle weather. Where someone uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift may be the better answer for those outside steps.
The county's median age is 50.6, and 27.2% of residents are 65 or older. In 2024, 87.8% of housing units were owner-occupied, so many people here are staying in homes they own rather than moving.
The county is mostly rural, with 85.5% of residents living in rural areas per the 2020 Census. That can mean longer drives for installers and contractors, so it helps to plan ahead. Summer is also busy: the population of 17,970 swells to nearly 43,000 with vacationers and second-home owners, which strains local services that year-round seniors rely on.
No program in our research names stair lifts outright as a covered item, so the honest answer is that most help is case by case. The best first call is usually the Area Agency on Aging of Northwest Michigan at (231) 947-8920, which can explain MI Choice and other in-home services.
For lower-income rural homeowners, USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants list accessibility repairs such as ramps or walk-in showers, and the local office can say whether a stair lift qualifies. Benzie Senior Resources in Honor runs an Equipment Loan Closet and an Essential Needs Fund. The Michigan Assistive Technology Loan Fund finances dwelling accessibility modifications for residents with disabilities.
Veterans should know the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The Benzie County Veterans Affairs Office at 448 Court Place in Beulah, (231) 882-0034, can help check other VA options.
A Medicaid waiver for Michigan residents 65+ or disabled adults 18+ who need a nursing-facility level of care, with Environmental Adaptations as a listed service; stair lifts are not itemized and would depend on the individual support plan. Call (800) 442-1713.
The regional aging agency serving Benzie County since 1974, offering information and referral, care management and access to MI Choice; it does not list a stair lift or home-modification grant. Call (800) 442-1713 to ask what in-home accessibility help is available.
A county senior-services nonprofit with an equipment loan program and a case-by-case hardship fund; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call the Honor office at (231) 525-0600 to ask whether either could apply.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest over 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62+ who cannot repay a loan, for very-low-income rural owner-occupants; ramps and walk-in showers are named, stair lifts are not. Call (517) 324-5210 to confirm.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary home alterations for veterans with a VA-rated disability; stair glides and porch lifts are explicitly excluded. Call (800) 827-1000 for VA benefits.
Grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; ramps and wider doorways are given as examples, stair lifts are not named. Call (800) 827-1000.
A nonprofit serving people with disabilities of any age in Benzie County and 16 other counties, offering information on assistive technology, advocacy and peer support; no stair lift fund is listed. Call (231) 922-0903.
A statewide low-interest loan and loan-guarantee program for Michigan residents with disabilities or their family members, including a Dwelling Accessibility Modifications category; stair lifts are not named specifically. Call (517) 203-1200.
Older adults
1609 Park Drive, Traverse City, 49686
Veterans
448 Court Place, Beulah, 49617
Yes, outdoor-rated lifts are made for exterior steps, and many Benzie County homes on sloped lots need one at the entry. If the person uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer, a platform lift may be the better fit outside.
The VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts, so coverage is not confirmed. The Benzie County Veterans Affairs Office in Beulah, (231) 882-0034, can help you check.
MI Choice is open to disabled adults 18+ who need a nursing-facility level of care, as well as people 65+. Disability Network Northern Michigan serves people with disabilities of any age, and MATLF loans are open to Michigan residents with disabilities.
Start with the Area Agency on Aging of Northwest Michigan at (231) 947-8920 or (800) 442-1713. Benzie Senior Resources in Honor, (231) 525-0600, is the local senior agency to ask about its loan closet and hardship fund.
Section 504 grants of up to $10,000 lifetime are for homeowners 62+ who cannot repay a loan and whose income is at or below 50% of the county median. Most of Benzie County outside larger places is rural, but ask the USDA office at (517) 324-5210 whether a stair lift qualifies.
Often, because split-level stairs have short flights and landings. Sometimes two straight lifts on separate flights work instead, which is why we measure the stairs in person before recommending one.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
