The Wilder-Holton House in Lancaster, built in 1780, is documented as the oldest surviving house in Coos County and the first two-story house built in the area. That two-story tradition never went away. From Berlin and Gorham to Colebrook and Pittsburg, many older town centers are full of farmhouses and village homes with the bedrooms upstairs and no accessible way in at ground level.
Coos County is the northernmost county in New Hampshire and the largest by land area, roughly 1,795 square miles, with 22 towns and a population of 32,504. This page walks through what that housing and that distance mean for a stair lift, and which programs in the county and state may help with the cost.
A large share of homes here are 19th-century farmhouses and timber-frame houses typical of the Great North Woods. The usual layout puts the bedrooms and often the only full bath on the second floor. When the stairs get hard, the whole upper half of the house goes with them.
A straight stairway that runs from one floor to the next without a turn is the simplest case, and it takes a straight stair lift. Older homes often have a landing, a turn near the top or narrow treads, and those usually call for a curved lift built to the shape of the stairs. We measure in person before recommending either one.
Not every home in the county is an old farmhouse. Single-family and detached houses, townhouses, walk-up apartments and split-level homes are all part of the mix. A split-level has short runs of stairs between several floors, so the question is which run you actually use every day.
Many older village houses have no ground-floor accessible entry, which means the outside steps can be as big a problem as the inside ones. An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can handle porch and entry steps. In a walk-up apartment, talk with the building owner before planning anything on shared stairs.
About 25.2% of Coos County residents are 65 or older, and the median age is 50.3, about 20% higher than New Hampshire overall. Roughly 73.0% of households own their home, which matters because most funding programs and the property tax exemption below are built around homeowners.
The county averaged 18.4 people per square mile as of the 2010 census. For someone living in Errol, Clarksville or Dummer, that means longer drives for installers, medical providers and contractors. It helps to line up the doctor's paperwork and the funding questions before the first site visit so nothing has to wait on a second trip.
Census figures show a median household income of $57,677, roughly three-fifths of the state figure, and a poverty rate of 13.2%, nearly double the statewide rate. For many families here, outside help matters more than the sticker price.
Be realistic about what each program says. Granite State Independent Living lists stair lifts by name. The VA HISA grant and the Harry Gregg Foundation exclude them. Several others cover home modifications without naming stair lifts, so you need to ask. A good first call is ServiceLink of Coos County at (603) 752-6407, which connects residents to the Medicaid waiver, VA and other programs listed below.
The NH State Division of Veterans Services office for Coos County is at 610 Sullivan Street, Suite 6, Berlin, NH 03570, phone (603) 752-6407. VA home grants have strict rules on stair lifts, so read the program notes below before applying.
A Medicaid waiver for residents 65+ or 18-64 with a qualifying disability who need nursing facility level of care, with an individual income limit of $2,982/month. Home modifications for safety and accessibility are covered with physician documentation and case-manager approval, but stair lifts are not named, so ask; call (866) 634-9412.
A statewide nonprofit that evaluates accessibility needs, refers contractors and finds funding such as Medicaid waiver or VA money rather than paying a fixed grant. Stair lifts are explicitly on its list of modifications; call (603) 228-9680 to confirm North Country coverage.
A New Hampshire grant of up to $1,200 for residents of any age with a disability who meet household income limits, such as $2,987/month for a single adult with no children. Lift chairs are on its list of items it does not fund; call (603) 792-0137 with questions.
A lifetime VA grant of up to $6,800 for service-connected disabilities, or $2,000 for other eligible disabilities, for medically necessary structural changes prescribed by a VA physician. It specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it will not pay for a stair lift.
Grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA (FY2026), usable across up to 6 projects. The source names ramps and wider doorways as examples and does not mention stair lifts.
Repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed for 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62+ who cannot repay a loan, for very-low-income owners in eligible rural areas. Listed repairs include ramps, grab bars and walk-in tubs; stair lifts are not named.
Not a cash grant: the assessed value of improvements made to assist a co-resident with a permanent disability is deducted from your property's assessed value. The statute does not list stair lifts by name; file with your local selectmen or assessors by April 15.
A free information, options counseling and referral office at 610 Sullivan St., Suite 6, Berlin, open to county residents of any age. It does not fund stair lifts directly but points you to the CFI waiver, VA and other programs; call (603) 752-6407.
Older adults
129 Pleasant Street, Concord, 03301
Veterans
610 Sullivan Street, Suite 6, Berlin, 03570
Yes, possibly. The CFI Medicaid waiver also serves people aged 18-64 with a qualifying disability who need nursing facility level of care, and the Harry Gregg Foundation serves New Hampshire residents of any age with a disability. GSIL works with residents needing home access changes regardless of age.
The HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides, so not through that program. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts either way. Call the NH State Division of Veterans Services in Berlin at (603) 752-6407 to talk through your situation.
Usually yes, but it will likely need a curved lift made to fit those stairs rather than a straight one. Older farmhouse and timber-frame staircases vary a lot, so an in-home measurement is the only way to know.
ServiceLink of Coos County at (603) 752-6407, at 610 Sullivan St., Suite 6 in Berlin. It is free to use and can connect you to the Medicaid waiver, VA and other programs. For statewide questions, the Bureau of Elderly & Adult Services in Concord is at (603) 271-9203.
It may. Under RSA 72:37-a, improvements to assist a co-resident with a permanent disability can be deducted from your assessed value, though the law does not name stair lifts. File with your local selectmen or assessors by April 15.
It can. The county is large and sparsely populated, so installer and contractor visits take longer to schedule than in denser parts of the state. Having the doctor's paperwork and funding answers ready before the visit keeps the project moving.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
