Hickory's older neighborhoods tell you a lot about the stairs we see in Catawba County. The Oakwood Historic District, the Kenworth Historic District and the Hickory Southwest Downtown Historic District are full of early-20th-century homes, many still with their original staircases. Out past the city, in Newton, Conover, Maiden, Claremont and Long View, the houses get newer and often sit on just one floor.
That mix shapes what kind of lift a home needs. A narrow, steep staircase in an older Hickory house calls for different planning than a split-level in a newer subdivision or a lake house near Lake Hickory. This page walks through the homes, the terrain and the programs that may help pay for the work in the county's 10 towns.
Hickory grew from an 1858 land purchase into a manufacturing hub, and its housing followed that growth. The National Register of Historic Places lists several early-20th-century districts in the city, including the Claremont High School Historic District. Multi-story homes from that era are where we install the most stair lifts.
If the staircase runs in one line from bottom to top, a straight lift is usually the simplest fit. Many older stairs turn at a landing or curve partway up, and those need a curved rail built to the exact shape. We measure every step before recommending either one.
Catawba County sits in the Piedmont of western North Carolina, with rolling hills across its 416.02 square miles. Hickory itself is at 1,188 feet. On sloped lots, a ranch-style home can still have steps up to the front door or down to a basement, and a split-level home has short flights between every floor.
Short flights often take a straight lift, while steps to a porch or a garage may call for an outdoor lift. Where someone uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift is worth discussing. Homes along Lake Hickory, with its 105 miles of shoreline, often have exterior steps down toward the water that deserve the same look.
About 17.8% of the county's 89,760 residents are 65 or older, and 63.4% are homeowners. Owning the house makes a stair lift simpler, because you decide what goes on the wall and the stairs.
Renters in townhouses or walk-up apartments should talk with the landlord first, since a lift attaches to the stairs.
Most local and state programs listed on this page do not name stair lifts in their published rules. Several cover accessibility or mobility improvements in general terms, so the right move is to call and ask whether a lift would qualify in your case.
For residents 60 and older, the best first call is the Region E - Western Piedmont Council of Governments AAA at 1880 2nd Ave. NW in Hickory, (828) 485-4212. Veterans can start with the Veteran Services Office at 100 Government Drive in Newton, (828) 465-8255. North Carolina also offers the Elderly or Disabled Property Tax Homestead Exclusion (G.S. 105-277.1), which can ease other household costs.
Serves people 60 and older who have no one else to do the work, with services capped at $7,000 per individual per program year and including mobility and accessibility improvements; stair lifts are not listed by name. Call (828) 322-9191.
The regional aging agency in Hickory runs services for adults 60 and better, including Housing and Home Improvement, Options Counseling and Caregiver Support, with eligibility based on need rather than income; stair lifts are not listed specifically. Call (828) 322-9191.
Helps disabled adults 18 and older who meet a nursing-facility level of care receive care at home through NC Medicaid Direct; the source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Call (888) 245-0179.
For homeowners who are permanently physically disabled and need accessibility modifications to stay safely in their home; stair lifts are not named. Call (919) 877-5700.
An interest-free, deferred loan forgiven at $5,000 per year for elderly or special-needs homeowners with income below 50% of area median, covering emergency repairs and accessibility modifications; stair lifts are not named. Call (919) 877-5700.
A secured, interest-free, deferred loan forgiven at $8,000 to $14,000 per year for elderly or disabled homeowners at or below 80% of area median income; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (919) 877-5700.
For very-low-income owners in eligible rural areas: loans up to $40,000 at 1% for 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for owners 62 and older, with stair lifts not named. The listed phone, (919) 873-2000, could not be verified, so confirm details with USDA directly.
Pays for medically necessary home alterations for veterans, up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime depending on disability status, but the VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
For veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities, SAH goes up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026; the VA gives ramps and wider doorways as examples and does not name stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
Covers repairs including accessibility modifications such as ramps for Catawba County owners at or below 80% of area median income, though stair lifts are not named. The program is currently not accepting applications; call (828) 328-4663 ext. 105 to check on reopening.
Older adults
1880 2nd Ave. NW, Hickory, 28601
Veterans
100 Government Drive, Newton, 28658
No. The VA's HISA page specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Veterans can still call the Veteran Services Office in Newton at (828) 465-8255 to ask about other VA benefits.
Most aging services start at 60, but the NC Medicaid CAP/DA Waiver serves disabled adults 18 and older who meet a nursing-facility level of care. It does not list stair lifts, so ask at (888) 245-0179 what it can cover.
Not right now. Its Home Repairs Program is currently not accepting applications. You can call (828) 328-4663 ext. 105 to ask when that may change.
Call the Region E - Western Piedmont Council of Governments AAA at (828) 485-4212. Its office is at 1880 2nd Ave. NW in Hickory, and it can explain housing and home improvement services for older adults.
Usually, yes. If the stairs bend at a landing or curve, as many in Hickory's historic districts do, a curved rail is built to fit them. Straight runs can take a straight lift.
USDA Section 504 offers repair loans and grants to very-low-income owners in eligible rural areas, with grants for owners 62 and older. Stair lifts are not named, so confirm eligibility with USDA before planning around it.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
