McKenzie County stretches from sugarbeet fields near the Missouri River to badlands in the south, with rolling prairie in between and services mostly gathered in Watford City. Families in Mandaree, Alexander and Four Bears Village often drive a long way for medical and accessibility help, so the stairs at home matter more here than in a place with a clinic on every corner.
The county's homes are a mix. Older multi-level farmhouses and small-town houses with interior stairs sit alongside the rentals, manufactured and modular homes, and workforce housing built during the Bakken oil boom. That mix shapes which stair lift fits, and whether a permanent install makes sense for your household.
Detached single-family homes and older two-story farmhouses usually have one straight run of stairs between floors. A straight stair lift is the simplest fit there: the rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, and it can usually be installed without remodeling.
Split-level homes are different. They often have short runs of a few steps between levels, and some have a landing or turn. A short straight run can take its own lift, while a staircase that turns needs a curved rail built to the exact shape of your stairs.
Ranch-style homes may have no interior stairs at all on the main floor, but a basement stairway or front entry steps can still be the problem. For entry steps, an outdoor lift or a platform lift is worth discussing during the home visit.
Outside Watford City, the nearest help can be a long drive across prairie or badlands roads. For an older parent living on a farmstead, a stair lift can mean keeping the bedroom and bathroom on the floor they already use instead of moving closer to town.
Outdoor steps to a porch or deck take a beating in northwestern North Dakota. If the trouble starts at the front door rather than inside, ask about a lift rated for outdoor use and about where the controls and charging point will sit.
About 34.7% of households in the county own their homes, and the 2020 Census counted 51.3% of occupied units as renter-occupied. If you rent, a permanent curved lift is a harder case, but a straight lift on a standard staircase can often be removed later.
Some programs work for renters too. The North Dakota HCBS Waiver allows renters with owner approval, and the VA HISA grant accepts renters with landlord authorization, so get the landlord's written okay early.
The catch is that the VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides, and the larger SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts at all.
The McKenzie County Veterans Service Office in the Courthouse at 201 5th Street NW, Watford City, is the local place to start. Call (701) 444-6853 to ask which VA options might apply to your situation.
No program in this county lists stair lifts as a named covered item, so plan on asking each one directly. The Medicaid HCBS Waiver Environmental Modification benefit decides case by case, and USDA Section 504 covers accessibility repairs without naming stair lifts.
For Medicaid and waiver applications, the Mountrail-McKenzie Human Service Zone office in Watford City is the local intake point at (701) 444-3661. Statewide, the Aging Services Division in Bismarck answers at (701) 328-8910, and other state options include SPED / Ex-SPED, the ND Assistive Assistive Technology Financial Loan (ATFL) Program and the North Dakota Homestead Property Tax Credit for Seniors and Disabled.
Pays for home modifications for adults 65+ or adults 18-64 with a qualifying disability who meet nursing-facility level of care, with 2026 limits of $1,197/month income and $3,000 in assets; stair lifts are not listed, so coverage is decided case by case. Call (855) 462-5465, and note enrollment slots are limited (~930 statewide).
Offers very-low-income rural homeowners loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62+ who cannot repay a loan; stair lifts are not specifically named among covered accessibility repairs. Call (701) 530-2037.
Provides up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically needed structural home changes for veterans, but stair glides are explicitly excluded. Call (800) 827-1000.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for FY2026 for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities; stair lifts are not mentioned in the program details. Call (800) 827-1000.
A free advocacy, referral and accessibility-survey service for people with disabilities in 11 counties including McKenzie; it does not offer a stair lift or home-modification grant fund. Call (701) 839-4724.
The local office in Watford City where McKenzie County residents apply for Medicaid, the HCBS Waiver and SPED/Ex-SPED; it is not a funding source itself, and stair lifts are not listed. Call (701) 444-3661.
Helps county veterans and families with referrals and applications, and is the local starting point for VA home programs; it provides no direct funding and does not list stair lifts. Call (701) 444-6853.
Older adults
600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 325, Bismarck, 58505
Veterans
Courthouse, 201 5th Street NW, Watford City, 58854
No. The HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides along with porch lifts and portable ramps. The SAH and SHA grants do not mention stair lifts, so ask the McKenzie County Veterans Service Office at (701) 444-6853 or the VA at (800) 827-1000.
Possibly, through the HCBS Waiver Environmental Modification benefit, which does not name stair lifts as covered or excluded. Work above $500 needs a professional assessment, and the applicant must meet nursing-facility level of care. Start with the Mountrail-McKenzie Human Service Zone at (701) 444-3661.
USDA Section 504 loans are open to very-low-income rural homeowner-occupants, but the grant portion is limited to homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan. Call (701) 530-2037 to check eligibility for your address.
It depends on your landlord. The HCBS Waiver allows renters with owner approval, and VA HISA accepts renters with landlord authorization. A straight lift is usually easier to remove later than a curved one.
Split-level homes often have short runs of steps between levels. Each straight run can take a straight lift, while stairs with a turn or landing need a curved rail measured to your staircase.
Independence, Inc., the Center for Independent Living serving McKenzie County, offers free accessibility surveys and referrals. Call (701) 839-4724.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
