Lisbon and Enderlin both started as late-19th-century farm and rail-line towns along the Sheyenne River. Many of the homes from that era are still standing: two-story farmhouses and small-town houses with narrow, steep staircases between the main floor and the bedrooms. For someone who wants to stay put, that staircase often becomes the one obstacle in the house.
Out past town, the county is rolling hills with lakes in the west, and plenty of older residents live on farmsteads a long drive from Lisbon or Enderlin. This page walks through what Ransom County homes mean for a stair lift, how distance affects planning, and which local, state and federal programs are worth a phone call before you pay out of pocket.
Ransom County has not been broadly rebuilt, so a lot of the housing is original. In a two-story farmhouse, the staircase is usually tight and steep, and that shapes which lift fits. A straight stair lift rides a rail mounted to the treads, not the wall, so older plaster walls are rarely an issue.
Narrow stairs are where measuring matters most. We check the width so the folded seat and rail leave room for anyone else using the stairs. If the staircase turns at a landing or has winders at the top, a curved lift with a custom-bent rail is the usual answer, and it takes longer to build than a straight one.
Not everyone here lives in a single-family or detached house. Townhouses often have one straight flight, which is the simplest install. In a walk-up apartment, the stairs may be shared, so the building owner has to approve anything mounted there.
Some homes need help getting inside before they need help getting upstairs. Porch and entry steps can take an outdoor stair lift built for weather, and a vertical platform lift is an option for someone who uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat.
Ransom County covers 863.855 square miles at about 6.6 people per square mile. For a farmstead well outside Lisbon or Enderlin, there are fewer contractors and accessibility assessors nearby, which can add cost and lead time to a stair lift project.
It helps to start early. If a funding program needs a professional assessment first, line that up before you settle on a lift, and plan so the measuring visit and install happen in as few trips as possible.
About 25.0% of the county's residents are 65 or older, and many of them own the homes they would modify. That matters because several programs below require you to own and live in the home.
The Ransom County Veterans Service Office in Lisbon at 204 5th Avenue West, (701) 683-6126, can help sort out which VA grants apply. The nearest full VA medical center is the Fargo VA Health Care System at 2101 Elm Street North, Fargo, ND.
The 2023 median household income in Ransom County was $74,521, and many families find state and federal help makes a real difference. None of the programs below names stair lifts outright, and the VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. Others use broad home-modification or accessibility language, so the honest step is to call and ask.
Good first calls are local: the RSR Human Service Zone office in Lisbon for Medicaid and the HCBS waiver, and the Freedom Resource Center office on Main Avenue in Lisbon for accessibility help and referrals. Statewide, the Aging Services Division in Bismarck is at (701) 328-8910. Older homeowners may also want to ask about the North Dakota Homestead Property Tax Credit for Seniors and Disabled.
The local intake office at 205 4th Ave. S., Lisbon, for Medicaid, SNAP, heating assistance and the long-term-care HCBS pathway. Its page does not list stair lifts or home modifications; call (701) 683-6133.
A free statewide information and referral line for seniors, adults with disabilities and caregivers. It does not list covered items such as stair lifts, so call (855) 462-5465 to ask what is currently funded.
A Medicaid waiver for people 65+ or with qualifying disabilities who meet level-of-care rules; it can cover projects like ramps and widened doorways, but stair lifts are not named, and modification requests over $500 need a professional assessment. Call (855) 462-5465 or apply through the RSR zone.
A state in-home services program for adults 18+ with functional impairments, with a sliding-fee cost share and a $50,000 liquid-asset limit that excludes the home. Home modifications and stair lifts are not mentioned on its policy page; call (866) 614-6005.
Rural repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% for very-low-income homeowners, plus grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62+, for work that makes a home accessible. Stair lifts are not named, and Ransom County is eligible rural territory.
A VA grant up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically needed home changes like roll-in showers. It does not cover stair lifts, since stair glides are excluded; apply through the Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service at a VA medical facility such as the Fargo VA Health Care System.
A grant up to $126,526 for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, used for changes like ramps and wider doorways. Stair lifts are not named; call (701) 239-7165.
A grant up to $25,350 for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities such as loss of use of both hands. Stair lifts are not named among covered changes; call (701) 239-7165.
Free help for veterans and dependents with benefits claims, including VA housing and adaptation grant applications. It is an assistance service, not a payment for stair lifts; the statewide number is (701) 239-7165.
Loans up to $50,000 at a 2% fixed rate for assistive technology and home modifications like walk-in showers and ramps for North Dakotans with disabilities. Stair lifts are not named, so call (800) 895-4728 to confirm.
Grants not expected to exceed $2,000 for documented assistive-technology needs not covered elsewhere. Stair lifts and home modifications are not mentioned, so it is likely a poor fit; call (800) 895-4728.
A Center for Independent Living at 701 Main Avenue, Lisbon, offering help with housing and accessibility, including a Temporary Ramps program. Stair lifts are not named, but staff can point you to funding; call (701) 683-6850.
Older adults
600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 325, Bismarck, 58505
Veterans
204 5th Avenue West, Lisbon, 58054
The HCBS waiver can cover home modifications like ramps and widened doorways when they help with daily living, but stair lifts are not itemized by name. Ask a case manager through the ADRL at (855) 462-5465 or the RSR Human Service Zone at (701) 683-6133. Requests over $500 need a professional assessment.
The USDA Section 504 program offers grants up to $10,000 lifetime for very-low-income rural homeowners 62 and older, for work that makes a home accessible. Stair lifts are not named in the program terms, and grant funds must be repaid if the home is sold within 3 years.
No. VA lists stair glides among the removable equipment HISA excludes. Veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities can ask about the SAH or SHA grants, and the Ransom County Veterans Service Office at (701) 683-6126 can help with applications.
Yes, but plan for more lead time. With sparse population and few contractors or assessors out in the county, rural installs can cost more and take longer, so schedule any required assessment early.
Yes. The RSR Human Service Zone is at 205 4th Ave. S., the Freedom Resource Center is at 701 Main Avenue, and the Ransom County Veterans Service Office is at 204 5th Avenue West, all in Lisbon.
SPED is open to adults 18 and older with qualifying functional impairments, and the HCBS waiver also covers people with qualifying disabilities. Neither lists stair lifts by name, so confirm with a case manager.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
