Faribault and Northfield both started growing in the 1850s, and a lot of that early housing is still standing. Walk past Faribault's downtown commercial blocks, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, or the Alexander Faribault House, built in 1853, and you get a sense of how old some Rice County staircases really are.
Beyond those two cities, the county's seven towns include Lonsdale, Dundas, Morristown, Warsaw and Nerstrand, plus farm country in the rural townships. This page walks through how the homes and winters here affect stair lift choices, and which programs may help with the cost.
Many homes in Rice County are older multi-story houses that still have their original stairways. These stairs are often narrow or steep, and some turn at a landing. A turn or landing usually means a curved stair lift, which uses a rail built to follow your exact staircase.
A plain straight flight is simpler. A straight stair lift runs on a standard rail that bolts to the stair treads, not the wall, so older plaster and trim stay untouched. We measure the width, the pitch and the space at the top and bottom before recommending either one.
Split-level homes are common in the newer parts of the county. Instead of one long staircase, they have several short runs between levels. Each short run can take its own straight lift, or a curved rail can link two runs if the layout allows it.
Townhouses and walk-up apartments raise a different question: who owns the stairs. In shared buildings the owner or association usually has to approve any installation, so it helps to ask before scheduling a measurement.
Rice County covers 516 square miles of low, rolling hills, with the Cannon River running northeast through the middle and picking up the Straight River at Faribault. Plenty of homes here sit on a slope, which can mean steps up from the driveway or down to a walkout door.
Winters are cold and snowy, and icy outdoor steps are a real fall risk. An outdoor stair lift is built with weather-resistant parts and a cover for the seat. Where a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift may make more sense than a seated lift.
About 15.8 percent of Rice County residents are 65 or older, and 70.8 percent own their homes. Owning the home matters, because several of the programs below are open only to people who own and live in the property.
Rice County Veteran Services in Faribault, at (507) 332-6117, is the local office for questions about VA benefits.
The program most clearly tied to stair lifts is the Minnesota Elderly Waiver, which lists home modifications among its covered services for people 65 and older who qualify. Start with the Senior LinkAge Line at (800) 333-2433, which handles Rice County intake.
Other options, like the Minnesota Housing loan and the Rice County Habitat for Humanity Aging in Place Program, do not name stair lifts on their sources, so call them to confirm. Veterans should know the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The full list is below.
A state Medicaid waiver for people age 65 or older who need a nursing-facility level of care; it lists home modifications as a covered service, with a 2026 income limit of $2,982 a month and an asset limit of $3,000 for a single applicant. Call the Senior LinkAge Line at (800) 333-2433 to start through Rice County's intake.
The area agency on aging for an 11-county region that includes Rice County; it coordinates aging services and referrals rather than giving cash grants, and its source does not mention stair lifts. Reach the office in Rochester at (507) 288-6944.
A local nonprofit program for helping people stay in their homes; its source does not list which modifications are included, so stair lifts are not confirmed. Call (507) 200-1668 or request the brochure to check current scope.
Serves owners of manufactured and mobile homes in Rice County with practical repairs such as heat-tape pipe wrapping, insulation, window repair and efficient lighting and thermostats; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (507) 316-0610.
A deferred loan of up to $37,500 for income-qualified owner-occupants, forgiven if you stay in the home for the loan term; stair lifts are not named as an eligible item. Call (651) 296-7608 or (800) 657-3769.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 for service-connected disabilities or $2,000 for other non-service-connected disabilities, but it specifically excludes stair glides, so it does not cover stair lifts. Rice County Veteran Services at (507) 332-6117 can help with other VA questions.
Larger VA grants, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026, for veterans who own a home and have certain severe service-connected disabilities; the source gives ramps and doorway widening as examples and does not mention stair lifts. Rice County Veteran Services at (507) 332-6117 can explain eligibility.
Offers independent living services, including assistive technology support and homemaker and respite services, to people with disabilities of any age in an 11-county area that includes Rice County; no stair lift funding is named. Call (507) 285-1815.
Older adults
2720 Superior Dr. NW, Suite 300, Rochester, 55901
Veterans
Rice County Government Services Building, 320 Third St. NW, Faribault, 55021
The Minnesota Elderly Waiver lists home modifications among its covered services, though its source does not name stair lifts specifically or give a dollar cap. Services are set through a care plan with a county case manager, so call the Senior LinkAge Line at (800) 333-2433.
The Elderly Waiver requires age 65 or older, but SEMCIL serves people with disabilities of any age in Rice County at (507) 285-1815. The Minnesota Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program is based on income and ownership rather than age.
The VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either way, so ask Rice County Veteran Services in Faribault at (507) 332-6117.
Yes. Split-level homes have several short runs of stairs, and each run can usually take its own straight lift, or a curved rail can connect runs when the layout allows.
Outdoor stair lifts use weather-resistant parts and a seat cover, which matters with the cold, snowy winters here. Clearing snow and ice from the steps and rail is still part of normal winter care.
Three Rivers Community Action runs a Mobile Home Rehabilitation Program for Rice County owners. It covers repairs like insulation, window repair and heat-tape pipe wrapping rather than stair lifts; call (507) 316-0610.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
