Martin County is a farming county on the coastal plain, with the Roanoke River running through it and five towns on our map: Williamston, Robersonville, Oak City, Jamesville and Parmele. Many families here live in older multi-story farmhouses or early-20th-century houses in town, and those homes often have an interior stairway between the bedrooms and the kitchen.
That stairway is usually what brings people to call us. This page walks through how local homes fit the main types of stair lifts, what the county's rural spread means for getting work done, and which programs may help with the cost.
The county's housing mixes older multi-story farmhouses and early-20th-century in-town housing with newer single-story rural and suburban construction. If your parent lives in one of the older two-story houses in Williamston, Robersonville, Hamilton or Jamesville, a stair lift is often the simplest way to keep the upstairs in use.
A straight staircase with no turns usually takes a straight rail, which is the quickest kind to fit. Stairs that turn at a landing or wind around a corner need a curved rail built to that exact staircase, so we measure before giving any answer.
Townhouses, walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings are also part of the local mix. In a rental, the owner has to agree before anything is attached to the stairs.
The coastal plain here is flat and low-lying, without the steep grades of hillier parts of the state. Even so, a front or back entry can still have steps, and an outdoor lift built for weather can handle those.
For someone who uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift may be the better fit. We look at the person, the doorway and the steps together before recommending one.
The 2020 census counted 24.8% of Martin County residents at age 65 or older, with a median age of 47.9.
About 74.9% of residents live in rural areas across roughly 456.7 square miles. That spread affects how far in-person home-modification outreach and contractors travel, so it helps to call early and ask about scheduling for places outside Williamston like Oak City or Parmele.
Most families here own their homes; 68.0% of occupied units were owner-occupied in the 2020 census. Ownership matters, because several programs below, including the USDA and VA housing grants, require it.
None of the programs listed name stair lifts as a covered item, and the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. Some cover home repairs or accessibility improvements in general, so the right move is to call and describe the stair lift by name.
A good first call is the Area Agency on Aging. The facts we have list both the Mid-East Commission Area Agency on Aging at (252) 946-8043 and the Region L - Upper Coastal Plains Council of Governments AAA at 121 W. Main St., Williamston, (252) 234-5955, so ask which one handles intake for your address. Veterans can start with Martin County Veterans Services at 205 East Main Street, Williamston, (252) 789-4398.
Statewide, homeowners may also want to ask about the Elderly or Disabled Property Tax Homestead Exclusion (G.S. 105-277.1), which is a property tax program rather than a stair lift benefit.
A Medicaid waiver that helps adults 18 and older who meet a nursing-facility level of care stay at home, with services authorized through a person-centered plan. The source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications; call (888) 245-0179 or ask through the Mid-East Commission Area Agency on Aging.
State-funded help for people age 60 or older with no one able and willing to do the work, capped at $7,000 per person per program year, and one possible local category is mobility and accessibility improvements. Stair lifts are not named, and funded categories vary by county, so call (800) 662-7030 to ask what is offered in Martin County.
The regional aging agency for Beaufort, Bertie, Martin and Pitt counties, which handles intake, referrals and local HCCBG funds rather than giving cash grants. No stair lift benefit is listed; call (252) 946-8043 to confirm which home services are currently funded.
A federal program for very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas to repair or improve their homes, with reported loans up to $40,000 at 1% for 20 years and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners age 62 or older, though these figures need confirming. Stair lifts are not named on the program page, and no local phone number is listed here.
A VA grant for medically necessary permanent home alterations, up to $6,800 lifetime for a service-connected disability or $2,000 for other cases. It does not cover stair lifts, which the VA lists as excluded removable equipment; call (800) 827-1000 with questions.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities who own their home, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 in FY2026. The VA gives ramps and wider doorways as examples but does not name stair lifts; call (800) 827-1000.
Older adults
121 W. Main St., Williamston, 27892
Veterans
205 East Main Street, Williamston, 27892
Not through the HISA grant, which lists stair glides as excluded equipment. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way, so a veteran with a qualifying disability should ask at (800) 827-1000 or Martin County Veterans Services at (252) 789-4398.
The HCCBG home improvement program starts at age 60, and the USDA grant portion starts at 62. CAP/DA is open to disabled adults 18 and older who meet a nursing-facility level of care, though stair lifts are not listed among its services.
Usually, yes. Stairs with a turn need a curved rail made to fit that staircase, so we measure the stairs in person before recommending anything.
Most of Martin County is rural, with 74.9% of residents living outside urban areas, which can affect scheduling. Call and give us the address so we can talk through timing.
She will need the landlord's agreement before anything is installed. The HCCBG program also requires written landlord permission for renters.
Start with the Area Agency on Aging, either the Mid-East Commission at (252) 946-8043 or the Region L office in Williamston at (252) 234-5955, and ask which one serves your address. They can tell you which HCCBG home services are funded in Martin County right now.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
