St. Peter was founded in 1853 and platted in 1854, and its historic downtown still has older multi-story homes where the bedrooms sit up a full flight of stairs. Across the river valley in North Mankato, and out in Nicollet, Courtland and Lafayette, you find split-level homes, townhouses and detached single-family houses, each with its own kind of staircase.
This page explains how those homes affect the type of stair lift that fits, what the county's flat, farmed landscape means for outdoor steps, and which local and state programs Nicollet County families can call about paying for a lift. It covers all 5 towns in a county of 28,585 people.
In St. Peter's older multi-story homes, the usual problem is a single long flight to the second floor. If that staircase runs straight from bottom to top, a straight stair lift is normally the simplest fit. Many older staircases turn at a landing, though, and those need a curved lift built to the shape of the stairs.
Split-level homes are different. Instead of one long flight, you get short runs of steps between several levels. We look at which levels the person actually uses every day, since the bedroom and bathroom may be on one short run while the laundry is on another.
Townhouses and low-rise buildings often have tight, enclosed stairwells. We measure width and check for doors at the top or bottom before recommending a model, so the lift folds out of the way for everyone else in the home.
Nicollet County sits in the Minnesota River Valley and has the lowest high point of any Minnesota county, at 1,065 feet. The low rolling hills slope gently east, so most homes here are not perched on steep lots. The steps that cause trouble are usually the ones at the front or back door, not a long climb from the street.
A raised entry with a few steps can be handled with an outdoor stair lift or, for someone using a wheelchair, a platform lift. About 25.2% of county residents live in rural, agricultural areas, and farmhouse porches and side doors are a common place for this kind of project. Outdoor units need to stand up to Minnesota winters, so we talk through snow clearing and where the lift parks when not in use.
About 16.1% of county residents are 65 or older, and in St. Peter about 14.8% of the city's 12,066 residents are in that age group. Roughly 67.6% of households own their homes, which matters because most home modification programs below require you to own and live in the house.
If someone in your family served, read the veteran programs carefully, because one common VA grant does not pay for stair lifts while others may be worth asking about.
Start with Nicollet County Aging Services at (507) 934-8559. It is the county's intake point for Elderly Waiver, Alternative Care and related programs, with offices in St. Peter and North Mankato, and a family member can call on an older person's behalf.
For people 65 and older who qualify for Medical Assistance and need a nursing-facility level of care, the Elderly Waiver can fund home modifications called Environmental Accessibility Adaptations, capped at $21,722 per waiver year. People under 65 with a disability may qualify for the CADI Waiver, where the cap is $40,000 per waiver year. Neither program names stair lifts specifically, so a lift would need to be approved as part of the person's care or support plan.
Homeowners who do not qualify for Medicaid can look at the deferred loan through Minnesota Valley Action Council, based in St. Peter, which covers accessibility improvements with 0% interest and no monthly payments. Very-low-income homeowners in USDA-eligible rural areas may also qualify for Section 504 repair loans and grants.
Veterans should know that the VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides. Call the Nicollet County Veterans Service Office at (507) 934-7870, at the Health & Human Services Building, 622 S. Front St., St. Peter, to ask about other VA options.
The county's intake and referral point for Alternative Care, Elderly Waiver, Essential Community Supports, MSC+ and MSHO, including home modification options; stair lifts are not specifically listed. Residents 65+ or their families can call (507) 934-8559.
A Mankato-based agency serving a 28-county region that helps older adults and caregivers find and apply for home modification and long-term-care programs; it does not list a stair lift award of its own. Call (507) 387-1256.
A free statewide line that screens callers for Elderly Waiver, Alternative Care and other benefits and refers them to the local Area Agency on Aging; stair lifts are not specifically mentioned. Call (800) 333-2433.
A Medical Assistance waiver for Minnesotans 65+ who need a nursing-facility level of care, covering home modifications up to $21,722 per waiver year; a stair lift is not named but could be approved as an accessibility adaptation. Apply through Nicollet County Aging Services or call (800) 333-2433.
The home modification benefit inside Minnesota's waivers, capped at $21,722 per waiver year for Elderly Waiver and Alternative Care and $40,000 for CADI, CAC, Brain Injury and DD waivers; stair lifts are not named specifically. Call (651) 431-2500.
A waiver for Minnesotans under 65 with a certified disability who need a nursing-facility level of care, listing home modifications as a service under the $40,000 per waiver year cap; stair lifts are not named specifically. Call (866) 333-2466.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners 62+ in eligible rural areas, covering accessibility modifications, though stair lifts are not named. St. Peter and North Mankato addresses may not qualify, so confirm eligibility first.
A 0% interest deferred loan up to $37,500 with no monthly payments, forgiven after 15 years in the home, that covers accessibility improvements; stair lifts are not named individually. Call MVAC in St. Peter at (507) 345-2436.
A VA grant of $6,800 or $2,000 for home alterations, but it explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it does not pay for a stair lift. Questions can go to (507) 387-2939.
A grant up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home; stair lifts are not named in program materials. Call (507) 387-2939.
A smaller VA grant up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities such as loss of use of both hands; stair lifts are not named in program materials. Call (507) 387-2939.
The nearest VA clinic to Nicollet County and the place to get the physician's prescription needed for HISA, SAH or SHA applications; it is a clinic, not a funding source. Call (507) 387-2939.
A nonprofit serving people with any disability in Region Nine that designs and builds ramps and offers information and referral; stair lifts are not listed among what it builds. Call (507) 345-7139.
Older adults
10 Civic Center Plaza, Suite 3, Mankato, 56001
Veterans
Health & Human Services Building, 622 S. Front St., St. Peter, 56082
Nicollet County Aging Services at (507) 934-8559 is the county's intake point for Elderly Waiver and Alternative Care, and a family member can call for a parent. The Senior LinkAge Line at (800) 333-2433 can also screen for state programs.
It might. The Elderly Waiver covers home modifications up to $21,722 per waiver year, and a stair lift could be approved as an accessibility adaptation, but it is not named specifically and must fit the person's care plan.
The CADI Waiver serves Minnesotans under 65 with a certified disability who need a nursing-facility level of care, with a home modification cap of $40,000 per waiver year. The MVAC accessibility loan has no age requirement listed.
The HISA grant does not; it explicitly excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either, so ask the Nicollet County Veterans Service Office at (507) 934-7870 about your situation.
Possibly not. The program is limited to USDA-eligible rural areas, and St. Peter and North Mankato may not qualify, so confirm your address before applying.
It is a deferred loan at 0% interest with no monthly payments, and it is forgiven if you stay in the home 15 years. A lien is placed on the home until then.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
