Pierce County covers 1,082 square miles of rolling farm country in north-central North Dakota. Rugby, the county seat, sits where US Route 2 meets ND Highway 3. Much of the county's housing is in and around Rugby, and many of those homes are modest single-family houses built in the early-to-mid 20th century.
That housing makes stair lifts a practical fit for many families here. Most homes have a single straight staircase rather than several flights, which keeps installation simpler. Below we cover what your stairs likely mean for a lift, how winter affects scheduling, and the state, county and VA programs that can help with the cost.
The county had 2,040 housing units at the 2020 census, and the stock leans toward older single-family homes, detached houses, ranch-style homes and split-level homes. Large multi-story construction is rare. For most of these houses, a straight-run stair lift is the right starting point.
In a ranch-style home, the stairs that cause trouble are usually the ones to the basement, where laundry, storage or a family room often sits. A straight rail along that one flight is often all that is needed.
Split-level homes are different. They have short flights between levels, and a person may need help on more than one. Each flight can get its own straight lift, or a curved rail may be needed if the stairs turn at a landing. We measure in person before recommending either.
About 24.5% of residents are 65 or older, and the county's median age is 44.3, well above the US median of around 39. Many are long-term rural homeowners who want to stay in the house they know.
At the 2020 census, 78.7% of housing units were owner-occupied. That matters for paying, because some programs, including the state assistive technology loan for home modifications and the VA housing grants, require that you own the home.
Pierce County winters are harsh. The record low is -47F and average annual snowfall is 43.4 inches. Storms can push back in-home visits, so if you know a lift will be needed, it helps to schedule the assessment and installation before the worst of winter.
Snow and cold also bear on outdoor steps. If the main problem is the steps from the yard or garage to the door, we will talk through whether an outdoor lift or a platform lift makes sense, and what it takes to keep one usable through a North Dakota winter.
The population is spread thin, at about 3.8 people per square mile, from Rugby out to farms near Balta. We plan visits around that distance, so give us your full address when you call.
The clearest source of help for a stair lift is the North Dakota Assistive Assistive Technology Financial Loan Program, which lists home modifications as an eligible use for people who own their home. Loans go up to $50,000 at a 2% fixed rate, subject to change based on fund availability.
Other programs do not name stair lifts, but they are still worth a call. Medicaid home and community-based care is reached through the ND Aging and Disability Resource Link, and local applications go through the Northern Prairie Human Service Zone office in Rugby. Ask about a stair lift by name when you call.
Statewide options to ask about include the North Dakota Medicaid HCBS Aged and Disabled Waiver, Environmental Modification, Service Payments for the Elderly and Disabled (SPED / Ex-SPED), and the North Dakota Homestead Property Tax Credit for Seniors and Disabled. The Aging Services Division in Bismarck can be reached at (701) 328-8910. Veterans should start with the Pierce County Veterans Service Office in Rugby at (701) 776-6178.
A low-interest loan of up to $50,000 at a 2% fixed rate for a North Dakota resident with a disability, and home modifications are an eligible use if the applicant owns the home. Call (800) 895-4728.
A last-resort grant for a documented assistive technology need, generally not more than $2,000 and one award per 12 months, paid directly to the vendor; the program does not list stair lifts, so ask case by case. Call (800) 895-4728.
Free donated and refurbished equipment open to anyone with an assistive technology need; stair lifts are not listed and inventory changes, so check what is available. Call (800) 895-4728.
Federal grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home, with FY2026 caps of $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA; stair lifts are not listed among the examples. The Pierce County Veterans Service Office at (701) 776-6178 can help you start.
The state access point for Medicaid home and community-based long-term care, Money Follows the Person, and PACE for Medicaid members 55 and older; covered home modifications are not listed, so ask whether a plan of care can include a stair lift. Call (855) 462-5465.
The local office in Rugby where Pierce County residents apply for Medicaid, aging services and other programs; it is an intake office, not a grant, and no stair lift benefit is listed. Call (701) 776-5818.
Older adults
600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 325, Bismarck, 58505
Veterans
240 2nd St SE Suite 5, Rugby, 58368
Usually, yes. Most homes in and around Rugby are older single-family houses with a straight staircase, which is the simplest type of stair lift installation. Split-level homes with turns or several short flights may need more than one lift or a curved rail.
The North Dakota Assistive Assistive Technology Financial Loan Program lists home modifications as an eligible use if you own the home, with loans up to $50,000 at a 2% fixed rate. Call (800) 895-4728. Other programs do not name stair lifts, but you can still ask about yours.
For the state assistive technology loan, the applicant can be the end user, a family member or an approved representative living anywhere in the US. The person using the equipment must be a North Dakota resident with a disability, and home modifications require that the home be owned.
PACE, reached through the ND Aging and Disability Resource Link, is for Medicaid members age 55 and older. The North Dakota Assistive programs are based on disability and need rather than age. Call the Resource Link at (855) 462-5465 or North Dakota Assistive at (800) 895-4728.
Contact the Pierce County Veterans Service Office at 240 2nd St SE Suite 5 in Rugby, (701) 776-6178. They can tell you whether you qualify for the VA Specially Adapted Housing or Special Home Adaptation grants, which require a qualifying service-connected disability and home ownership.
It can, but heavy snow and extreme cold can delay in-home visits in Pierce County. If you expect to need a lift, booking the assessment early gives more room to work around storms.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
