From Velva on the Souris River to Towner, Granville, Anamoose and Drake, McHenry County is farm country spread across rolling hills. Many homes here are older farmhouses and town houses with interior stairs, and plenty of them have no zero-step entrance or a bedroom and bathroom on the main floor.
That layout works fine until the stairs get hard. A stair lift can let someone keep living in the house they own instead of moving to a single-floor place miles away. This page covers which kind of lift fits the homes we see in the county and the programs that may help with the cost.
Most homes in the county are single-family homes and detached houses, with a mix of split-level homes and ranch-style homes. Older multi-level farmhouses are common, and their staircases are often narrow or turn partway up. A straight staircase usually takes a straight rail, which is the simplest install.
Split-level homes have short flights between levels, so we look at which flight matters most for daily life before picking a rail. A staircase with a landing or a turn needs a curved rail built to fit that exact stair. Ranch-style homes may only need help at the entry or at a single flight, and sometimes that calls for a platform lift instead of a chair.
The county is sparsely settled, and winter ice on steps and walks is a real fall risk. When the only way into the house is a set of outside steps, an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift at the door can matter as much as the one inside.
Outdoor units need to handle North Dakota weather, so we check the steps, the footing and where snow piles up before recommending one. Long distances to services also mean it pays to get the measurements and the plan right on the first visit.
About 20.1% of county residents are 65 or older, and 80.8% own their homes. That is a lot of people staying put in houses they already own, which is the situation a stair lift is built for.
If that includes someone in your family, the VA section below is worth reading closely, because one common VA grant does not pay for stair lifts.
Incomes here are modest. In Towner, the county seat, median household income is $49,500 and the poverty rate is 15.4%, so many homeowners look for help before paying out of pocket.
The programs listed below are the ones with confirmed details for this county. None of them names stair lifts as a covered item outright, and the VA HISA grant excludes stair glides, so ask each office about your case directly. Other statewide programs to ask about include Service Payments for the Elderly and Disabled (SPED / Ex-SPED), the ND Assistive Assistive Technology Financial Loan (ATFL) Program and the North Dakota Homestead Property Tax Credit for Seniors and Disabled.
For a starting point, the Aging Services Division in Bismarck can be reached at (701) 328-8910. Veterans can visit the McHenry County Veterans Service Office at 407 Main Street South, Room 201, in Towner, or call (701) 537-5724.
This waiver serves adults 65+ or adults 18-64 with a qualifying disability who meet a nursing-facility level of care, and it covers home modifications such as ramps, grab bars and wider doorways; stair lifts are not named, so coverage is decided case by case. Call (855) 462-5465, and expect a waiting list once slots fill.
Very-low-income rural homeowners can get loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years, and homeowners 62+ who cannot repay a loan can get grants up to $10,000. Accessibility repairs like ramps and grab bars are listed, but stair lifts are not mentioned, so a loan specialist decides case by case.
HISA pays up to $6,800 or $2,000 over a lifetime for medically needed structural changes, but it specifically excludes stair glides, porch lifts and portable ramps. Call (800) 827-1000 for other VA options.
These grants (SAH up to $126,526, SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026) help veterans with severe service-connected disabilities adapt a home they own, and stair lifts are not named among covered projects. Call (800) 827-1000 to ask about eligibility.
This agency serves older adults in McHenry and six nearby counties with meals, foot care, in-home services and Medicare counseling; no stair lift or home-modification fund is listed. Call (701) 852-0561 as a first stop for referrals, including to the state HCBS waiver.
Independence, Inc. offers free advocacy, information and referral, and accessibility consulting for people with disabilities in an 11-county area that includes McHenry County; no stair lift fund is listed. Call (701) 839-4724.
Older adults
600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 325, Bismarck, 58505
Veterans
407 Main Street South, Room 201, Towner, 58788
Not through the HISA grant, which specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either, so call (800) 827-1000 or the McHenry County Veterans Service Office in Towner at (701) 537-5724 to talk through your situation.
The Aged & Disabled HCBS Waiver covers home modifications like ramps, grab bars and wider doorways, but stair lifts are not named in the source we reviewed. Coverage would need case-by-case confirmation, so call (855) 462-5465.
The USDA Section 504 grant is limited to homeowners 62 and older, but younger very-low-income rural homeowners can apply for the repair loan. The HCBS waiver also covers adults 18-64 with a qualifying disability who meet a nursing-facility level of care.
Often, yes. An outdoor stair lift or a platform lift can serve entry steps, and with winter ice in mind we check footing, step condition and snow before recommending one.
Not always. We start with the flight used most each day, such as the one to the bedroom or bathroom, and plan from there based on how the levels connect.
The Minot Commission on Aging at (701) 852-0561 serves McHenry County and can point you toward the state waiver. Veterans can start with the McHenry County Veterans Service Office at (701) 537-5724.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
