Pender County covers a lot of ground. It is the fifth-largest county in North Carolina by land area, running from Burgaw and Atkinson out past Rocky Point and Hampstead to Surf City and Topsail Beach on the barrier island. Rivers cut through it too: the Cape Fear, the Northeast Cape Fear, the Black River and the Intracoastal Waterway.
That spread matters when stairs start to get hard. About 61% of residents lived in rural areas as of the 2020 census, at roughly 69 people per square mile, so moving closer to services often means leaving a home, a farm or a town you know. A stair lift is one way to keep using the whole house you already own.
Burgaw, the county seat, mixes contemporary homes and buildings with 18th- and 19th-century architecture. Across the rest of the county you see older rural homesteads next to newer development, since the population has grown 31.2% since 2010.
Newer single-family homes and townhouses usually have one straight run of stairs, which is the simplest and quickest kind of lift to fit. Older homes in places like Burgaw or St. Helena are more likely to have turns, landings or narrow treads, and those often call for a curved rail built to the exact shape of the staircase.
We measure the stairs in person before recommending anything. The shape of the staircase, not the age of the house, decides which lift fits.
Plenty of Pender County homes have their hardest steps outside, at the front porch or a side entry. Manufactured homes, duplexes and many coastal houses fall into this group. An outdoor stair lift is made for those exterior steps and is worth considering if getting into the house is the real problem.
When someone uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift may be a better choice than a chair lift. For low-rise buildings with shared stairs, ask the owner or association before planning any installation.
About 17.0% of Pender County residents are 65 or older, and 74.5% of households own their homes. Owning the home makes a permanent installation much simpler, since there is no landlord to sign off.
If that includes your family, call Veterans Services at 805 S Walker Street Administrative Building in Burgaw, (910) 259-1203, before you start, so you know which VA benefits apply and which do not.
None of the programs below names stair lifts in its source material, and the VA HISA grant excludes stair glides outright. Several do fund accessibility work, mobility improvements or equipment, so it is worth asking each one directly whether a lift can be included in your case.
For anyone 60 or older, a good first call is the Region O - Cape Fear Council of Governments AAA at 1480 Harbour Drive in Wilmington, (910) 395-4553. Wilmington is just under 30 miles from Pender County, but you can start by phone.
Younger adults with disabilities can look at the CAP/DA and NC Innovations waivers. Statewide, you can also ask about the Community Alternatives Program for Children (CAP/C) and the Elderly or Disabled Property Tax Homestead Exclusion (G.S. 105-277.1).
A Medicaid waiver for disabled adults 18 and older who meet nursing-facility level of care, with 'equipment, modification and technology' as an approved service category; stair lifts are not named in the source. Call (888) 245-0179.
The CAP/DA renewal raised the modification, equipment and technology budget from $13,000 to $28,000 over the waiver period of Nov 1, 2024 through Oct 31, 2029; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (919) 855-4340.
A Medicaid waiver for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities that covers changes to make a home and car accessible, such as ramps or a lift; stair lifts are not named, and Pender County is served by Trillium Health Resources. Call (877) 685-2415.
Provides up to $7,000 per individual per program year for people 60 or older, including mobility and accessibility improvements; stair lifts are not named. Call (800) 662-7030.
Very-low-income rural homeowners can borrow up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years, and owners 62+ who cannot repay may get grants up to $10,000 lifetime, with a combined max of $50,000 ($55,000 in declared disaster areas). Stair lifts are not named, and eligibility in Pender County must be confirmed by address.
Pays up to $6,800 lifetime for service-connected or 50%+ rated veterans and up to $2,000 for qualifying non-service-connected disabilities, but it explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Pender County Veterans Services can help at (910) 259-1203.
Offers ramps, home modifications and assistive technology help at no cost to eligible people with disabilities in Pender and four nearby counties, decided case by case; stair lifts are not named. Call (910) 815-6618.
A critical home repair program with no upfront fee and a sliding-scale contribution, covering repairs like ramps, grab bars and aging in place modifications; stair lifts are not named. Call (910) 762-4744 ext. 100.
Older adults
1480 Harbour Drive, Wilmington, 28401
Veterans
805 S Walker Street Administrative Building, Burgaw, 28425
Yes, several options are not age-limited to 60. CAP/DA serves disabled adults 18 and older, the NC Innovations Waiver accepts applications regardless of age, and the disAbility Resource Center serves people with disabilities in Pender County.
No. HISA explicitly excludes removable equipment such as stair glides and porch lifts. Call Veterans Services in Burgaw at (910) 259-1203 to talk through other VA benefits.
Parts of Pender County are USDA-eligible rural territory, but it has to be confirmed by your address. The Section 504 program offers repair loans up to $40,000 and, for owners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, grants up to $10,000.
Cape Fear Habitat's repair program requires the home to be in a minimal-risk flood zone. You also need to have owned and lived in the home for 5 or more years and be current on taxes and mortgage.
Start with the Region O - Cape Fear Council of Governments AAA at (910) 395-4553. It covers Pender County and can point you to the Home and Community Care Block Grant program for people 60 and older.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
