Wright County runs from the Twin Cities commuter corridor in Otsego, St. Michael and Albertville out to Cokato, Howard Lake and South Haven on the western edge. In between sit the old town cores of Buffalo, Monticello and Delano along the Mississippi and Crow rivers, plus farm country and a lot of lakes across 714 square miles.
That spread shapes the stairs we see. Many houses here went up after 1970 as two-story suburban builds, while the rural townships still hold older one-and-a-half-story farmhouses. The right stair lift depends on which of those you live in, and the way you pay for it often depends on age, income and military service.
Much of the growth in towns like Otsego, St. Michael, Albertville and Hanover produced two-story homes with a full flight between the main floor and the bedrooms. When that flight runs in one straight line, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so most homes need no remodeling.
Some of these builds have a landing or a turn partway up. A turn means either a curved rail made to your stairs or, in some layouts, two straight lifts with a short walk at the landing. We measure first and talk through both before anything is ordered.
The one-and-a-half-story farmhouses in the rural townships can be harder to fit. Stairs in older houses are often narrower or turn sharply near the top, and those details decide whether a straight rail works or a curved one is needed. We check the width, the turn and the space at the top and bottom landings.
Wright County also has duplexes, townhouses and walk-up apartments. In a townhouse you own, a lift on your interior stairs is usually your decision. In a duplex or walk-up, the stairs may be shared, so talk with the owner or association before planning a lift. For steps outside the house, an outdoor stair lift or a vertical platform lift can be an option.
About 12.0% of Wright County residents are 65 or older, and 81.9% of households own their homes. That matters because a homeowner can install a lift without asking a landlord, and owning the house is a requirement for several of the loan and grant programs below.
Veterans should know up front that the most common VA home grant, HISA, excludes stair glides, so it is worth calling Wright County Veteran Services in Buffalo at (763) 682-7325 before counting on VA money.
The county population splits 60.8% urban and 39.2% rural. A family in Monticello or Delano is close to services, while a household outside Maple Lake, Annandale or Clearwater may be a long drive from county offices in Buffalo. Many assessments and the first steps of an application start with a phone call, so distance does not have to hold anyone back.
Most people pay privately, but public help is worth checking first. For residents 65 and older on Medical Assistance, the Minnesota Elderly Waiver lists home modifications as a covered benefit. The starting point is a MnCHOICES assessment through Wright County Health & Human Services.
Younger residents with disabilities may qualify for the CADI, CAC, BI or DD waivers, which carry a $40,000 per waiver-year limit for accessibility adaptations. Homeowners with low incomes can look at the Minnesota Housing rehab loan and the USDA Section 504 repair loans and grants. Neither of those sources names stair lifts specifically, so ask before you apply. Each program is listed below with its phone number.
Minnesota's main Medicaid waiver for people 65+ who need a nursing-facility level of care but want to stay home; home modifications are a covered category, and the 2026 income limit is $2,982 a month with a $3,000 asset limit for a single applicant. Call Wright County Health & Human Services at (763) 682-3900.
Medical Assistance waivers for Minnesotans under 65 with disabilities, with a $40,000 per waiver-year limit for accessibility adaptations and an exception process above that; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (763) 682-3900.
The county intake point where a social worker does a MnCHOICES assessment for Alternative Care, Elderly Waiver, Essential Community Supports and Personal Care Assistance; the page does not itemize stair lifts or home modifications. Call (763) 682-7481.
The area agency on aging for 14 central Minnesota counties including Wright, offering information and referral and funding local aging services; it does not list a stair lift benefit. Call (320) 253-9349.
A nonprofit accessibility program for people with disabilities of any age whose projects may include lifts, grab bars, ramps and door widening; it does not name stair lifts specifically, and its Wright County service area is not confirmed on the source. Call (320) 281-2014.
Forgivable loans up to $37,500 over up to 15 years for low-income homeowners with assets under $25,000, covering accessibility needs for a resident with a disability; stair lifts are not named. You apply through a participating lender; Minnesota Housing is at (651) 296-7608.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% for 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62+ who cannot repay, for low-income owners in eligible rural areas; listed accessibility repairs are ramps, grab bars and walk-in tubs, not stair lifts. Call (651) 602-7800.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically necessary home alterations; it does not cover stair lifts, because stair glides are excluded. Wright County Veteran Services can help at (763) 682-7325.
Grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; the VA source does not name stair lifts. Ask Wright County Veteran Services at (763) 682-7325.
Older adults
600 25th Ave. South, Suite 108, St. Cloud, 56301
Veterans
3650 Braddock Ave NE, Suite 1900, Buffalo, 55313
Possibly, through the Elderly Waiver, which lists home modifications as a covered benefit for people 65+ who qualify. No specific stair lift line item or dollar cap is stated, so start with a MnCHOICES assessment by calling Wright County Health & Human Services at (763) 682-3900.
The CADI, CAC, BI and DD waivers cover environmental accessibility adaptations up to $40,000 per waiver year for Medical Assistance enrollees under 65. Stair lifts are not mentioned in the source, so confirm with the county at (763) 682-3900.
No. The VA excludes stair glides and porch lifts from HISA. Call Wright County Veteran Services at (763) 682-7325 to ask about other VA options.
Only if the stairs turn or have a landing partway. Many two-story homes built during the county's growth have one straight flight, which takes a straight lift. We measure before recommending either.
Section 504 loans and grants are for eligible rural areas, generally towns under 35,000, with household income at or below 50% of area median income. Stair lifts are not on the listed repairs, so call (651) 602-7800 and check your address with USDA's property eligibility tool.
The Central Minnesota Council on Aging in St. Cloud serves Wright County and offers information and referral at (320) 253-9349.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
