From the old Colonial and Dutch Colonial farmhouses around Somerville and Millstone to the post-war split-levels in Bridgewater and the newer developments in Franklin and Hillsborough, Somerset County has a lot of stairs. The county spans 52 towns and about 524,589 people, and very few of its homes keep everything on one floor.
This page walks through how the county's houses and hills affect the kind of stair lift that fits, what staying put costs compared with moving, and which county and nonprofit offices to call about paying for it. A stair lift is not the right answer for every home, so the goal here is to help you sort that out before anyone measures a step.
Much of the county was built between 1945 and 1990, and that means classic suburban split-levels and colonial-revival houses with attached garages. A two-story colonial usually has one straight staircase, which is the simplest and most common stair lift job.
Split-level homes are different. Each short flight between levels is its own run, so a family may need to decide which level matters most, or plan for more than one lift.
The older homes in Somerville, Millstone and the historic districts of Bernardsville and Basking Ridge often have narrow, steep or turning stairs. Federal, Greek Revival and Victorian houses frequently call for a curved rail built to the staircase. The larger custom estate homes in Bernardsville, Far Hills and Bedminster can have wide or sweeping staircases that also lean toward curved models.
The east side of the county is flatter lowland, while the west rises into hilly Piedmont country, with the Watchung Mountains and Mine Mountain area reaching about 860 feet near Bernardsville. The Raritan River and its North and South Branches cut through the middle.
Sloped lots in the western townships often mean steps from the driveway or walk up to the front door. With average January lows around 18°F and regular snow and ice, those outside steps can be harder to manage than the ones indoors.
For exterior entries, an outdoor stair lift built for weather is one option. Where a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift or a ramp may make more sense than a seat, and the right choice depends on the rise and the space at the door.
About 76.3% of Somerset County residents own their homes, and 16.9% are 65 or older. Many of those owners have lived in the same split-level or colonial for decades and would rather not leave.
The median home value here is roughly $552,100, according to 2024 American Community Survey data. A typical local move of a 2-bedroom home within New Jersey runs about $1,100, and local moves statewide generally fall between $600 and $2,500. Those figures are worth putting next to a stair lift quote, since moving or downsizing brings its own costs on top of the move itself.
The Lyons VA Medical Center sits in the Lyons section of Bernards Township in Basking Ridge, and the Piscataway VA Clinic serves the eastern side.
Statewide, VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics) is one route to ask about for home changes. Somerset County Veterans Services, at 27 Warren Street, P.O. Box 3000, Somerville 08876, can be reached at (908) 704-6329 for help with the paperwork.
None of the county or nonprofit programs below publishes stair lifts as a covered item. Some of them do pay for or build related work like ramps, railings and accessibility upgrades, so it is worth calling and asking directly.
A good first call is the Somerset County Office on Aging & Disability Services at (908) 704-6346, 27 Warren Street, 1st Floor, Somerville 08876. It handles intake for the Handyman Program and points people to other supports.
Statewide programs to ask about include Jersey Assistance for Community Caregiving (JACC) and NJ Medicaid MLTSS. The local programs are listed below with their phone numbers.
A county volunteer program for seniors and disabled residents that does minor repairs, grab bars and exterior ADA-compliant wheelchair ramps, with free labor and materials paid by the client if able or by donations. Stair lifts are not listed in its published services; call (908) 541-5715 to ask.
A federally funded home-rehabilitation loan and grant program for low-to-moderate income homeowners that brings homes up to code, run by the Somerset County Community Development Office. Stair lifts are not listed on its program page, and funding varies by cycle; call (908) 541-5756.
The county's information, referral and case management office for seniors 60+, adults with disabilities 18+ and their caregivers. It is not known whether it can help with stair lifts directly; call (908) 704-6346 to ask about referrals.
A nonprofit repair program for homeowner-occupants in Hunterdon or Somerset County that covers ramps, railings, entry doors and general accessibility upgrades, with a sliding cost share of 10%-100% and zero-interest payment plans. Stair lifts are not listed by name; call (908) 704-0016 to ask whether one qualifies.
Older adults
27 Warren Street, 1st Floor, Somerville, 08876
Veterans
27 Warren Street, P.O. Box 3000, Somerville, 08876
Yes, in some cases. The Somerset County Office on Aging & Disability Services serves seniors 60+ and also adults with disabilities 18+, plus their caregivers. Call (908) 704-6346.
Stair lift installation is not on its published list of services. The program does grab bars, minor repairs and exterior ADA-compliant wheelchair ramps, so call (908) 541-5715 to ask what it can do for your home.
Household income must be at or below moderate-income limits, which run from $85,920 for a 1-person household up to $162,000 for an 8-person household. Your share of the cost ranges from 10% to 100% depending on income, and zero-interest payment plans are available.
Often, yes, but each short flight is a separate run. Many families pick the flight that matters most, such as the one to the bedrooms, or plan a lift for more than one level.
Outdoor stair lifts are made for exterior steps, and platform lifts or ramps are other options at an entry. With January lows around 18°F and regular snow and ice here, outside steps are a common reason people call.
Somerset County Veterans Services in Somerville can be reached at (908) 704-6329. Ask about VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics), and note that the Lyons VA Medical Center and the Piscataway VA Clinic are both nearby.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
