From Wallace and Warsaw to Beulaville, Faison and Calypso, Duplin County is spread across 820.22 square miles of flat coastal plain in eastern North Carolina. The 2020 Census counted 100.0% of residents as living in rural areas, so many homes sit on larger lots along county or state roads, not on sidewalk-lined streets.
That spread matters when a parent starts struggling with the stairs. A stair lift in a Rose Hill ranch house is a different job than one in an older two-story home in Kenansville, and the nearest installer may be a longer drive than in a city county. This page walks through what the local homes mean for a lift and where Duplin County families can look for help paying for one.
Most housing here is single-family homes and detached houses, with a good share of ranch-style homes, split-level homes and some low-rise buildings. Each style points toward a different kind of lift.
A two-story house with one straight run of stairs usually takes a straight stair lift, which is the simplest and most common install. Stairs that turn at a landing or curve need a curved rail built to fit that staircase.
Split-level homes often have short flights between levels. Sometimes one short run is the only problem, and sometimes a person needs help on more than one, so it pays to walk the whole house before picking a lift.
A ranch-style home may have no inside stairs at all, yet still have steps up to the porch or back door. On a rural lot, those entry steps are often the real barrier to getting out to the car or to appointments.
For those steps, an outdoor stair lift built for weather, or a platform lift for someone who uses a wheelchair, can be the better fit. Because the county is characteristically flat, the main question is usually the steps themselves, not a steep driveway or hillside.
Kenansville, the county seat, has the Kenansville Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. It includes Liberty Hall, an early-1800s home built by James Kenan, along with other period structures from the county's early-19th-century founding era.
Some of these older homes are multi-story, and historic-district properties may need additional review before changes are made. If your family's home is in the district, check on that review early so the lift choice and timeline account for it.
In the 2020 count, 19.5% of Duplin County residents were 65 or older, and the population fell 16.7% between 2010 and 2020. Among occupied housing units, 70.7% were owner-occupied, so most older residents are making decisions about homes they own.
Just know that not every VA home grant pays for a stair lift, as the program list below explains.
Agriculture, especially hog and poultry farming, drives the local economy, and incomes run on the lower side. The 2000 Census recorded a median household income of $29,890, with 19.40% of residents below the poverty line, so many families look for outside help before paying on their own.
None of the state or county programs below names stair lifts outright, and the VA's HISA grant excludes stair glides. Still, several fund home modifications or repairs tied to health and safety, so a phone call can tell you whether a lift could fit under one of them.
A good first stop is Duplin County Senior Services at 156 Duplin Commons Drive in Kenansville, (910) 296-2140. Veterans can visit Duplin County Veteran Services at the same address, (910) 296-2114.
Provides labor and/or materials for minor renovations and repairs that fix health and safety risks for older adults in its nine-county region, which includes Duplin County; stair lifts are not listed, and amounts are set case by case. Call (252) 638-3185.
A Medicaid waiver that funds home and community-based care for NC Medicaid Direct recipients age 18 and older with disabilities who are at risk of institutionalization; the page reviewed does not list home modifications or stair lifts. Call (800) 662-7030, or apply through Duplin County DSS Adult Services at 910-296-2200.
Helps people age 60 or older with no one able and willing to do a needed repair, up to $7,000 per individual per program year, and includes a mobility and accessibility improvements category, though stair lifts are not named and it depends on the county funding this service that year. Call (800) 662-7030.
Helps NC homeowners who are permanently physically disabled and need accessibility modifications to live at home safely, through the state's Independent Living Rehabilitation Program; stair lifts are not specifically listed. Call (919) 877-5700 to confirm current terms.
An interest-free, deferred loan forgiven over time for elderly or disabled NC homeowners with incomes at or below 80% of area median income, for repairs focused on health and safety; stair lifts are not listed. Call (919) 877-5700 to be referred to a local provider.
Offers up to $6,800 lifetime for a service-connected disability or up to $2,000 for other non-service-connected disabilities, but it explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so it does not pay for a stair lift. Call (800) 827-1000.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for FY2026 for homeowner veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities; the page reviewed mentions ramps and wider doorways but not stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
A statewide program for people of all ages with disabilities that offers device demonstrations, short-term loans and a used-equipment exchange rather than cash; stair lifts are not named among its devices.
Serves Duplin County residents age 60 and older with meals, in-home aide help, transportation, caregiver support and more, but does not list a home-modification or stair lift benefit. It is the local starting point for home-improvement services and referrals; call (910) 296-2140.
Free help for Duplin County veterans, servicemembers and dependents preparing and filing VA benefit claims; it is not a grant itself and does not list stair lifts. Call (910) 296-2114.
The county office at 423 North Main Street in Kenansville for public assistance, including Medicaid help and Low Income Energy Assistance; it is not a grant and does not list stair lifts. Call (910) 296-2200.
Older adults
233 Middle Street, Suite 300, New Bern, 28560
Veterans
156 Duplin Commons Drive, Kenansville, 28349
Not through the HISA grant, which explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts and only cover specific severe service-connected disabilities, so call (800) 827-1000 or Duplin County Veteran Services at (910) 296-2114 to ask about your situation.
Many senior programs here start at age 60, but CAP/DA serves NC Medicaid recipients age 18 and older with disabilities. The Displacement Prevention Partnership also has no age limit listed and is for homeowners who are permanently physically disabled.
Duplin County Senior Services at 156 Duplin Commons Drive in Kenansville, (910) 296-2140, is the local starting point for people 60 and older. They can point you toward home-improvement services and referrals.
It can. Historic-district properties may need additional review before changes, so ask about that early and plan the lift choice and timeline around it.
Possibly an outdoor one. Entry steps on ranch-style homes are often the main barrier, and an outdoor stair lift or, for wheelchair users, a platform lift is usually the fit for that spot.
The NC Division of Aging Housing and Home Improvement Assistance caps help at $7,000 per individual per program year. It only applies if Duplin County funds that service category in the current year, so call (800) 662-7030 to check.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
