From the row houses of downtown Easton to the Victorian/Queen Anne homes around College Hill and the borough streets of Nazareth, a lot of Northampton County living happens on more than one floor. Much of the housing here was built mid-20th century and earlier, and those older multi-story homes tend to come with steep interior staircases.
That matters when the bedroom and full bath are upstairs and the knees are no longer cooperating. This page walks through how the county's homes and hills shape the kind of stair lift that fits, and which local and state programs may help cover the cost across all 46 towns, from Bangor and Pen Argyl down to Hellertown and Lower Saucon.
Easton, Bethlehem, and Nazareth have dense historic cores with Federal, Georgian, Italianate, and Victorian/Queen Anne homes. These are typically multi-story, and the stairs inside are often steep. A steep but straight run can usually take a straight stair lift, which mounts to the treads rather than the wall.
Stairs that turn at a landing or wind partway up need a curved lift built to that exact staircase. In row houses and walk-up layouts, the stairway can also be narrow, so we measure the width and look at where the chair will park at the top and bottom before recommending a model.
The county's housing is mixed, not uniformly historic. Plenty of families in places like Palmer, Forks, and Lower Nazareth live in 1940s-1970s ranches and split-levels, along with newer townhouses.
A split-level usually means several short flights instead of one long one. Sometimes a lift is only needed on the flight that leads to the bedrooms. A ranch with a basement laundry may need a lift on just the basement stairs.
Northampton County sits in the eastern half of the Lehigh Valley, between South Mountain and the Kittatinny Ridge / Blue Mountain, with the Delaware River on the east. The land is rolling and hilly, and it rises toward Blue Mountain in the northwest.
In downtown Easton, College Hill, and Nazareth, homes sit on small lots along sloped streets, so many have steps up from the sidewalk to the front porch. An outdoor stair lift built for weather can handle those front or side steps. Where a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift may be the better fit than a seat.
About 20.3% of the county's 338,403 residents are 65 or older, and 70.9% of households own their homes. Many are long-time owners who raised families in the same house and want to stay in it.
If your home was built before 1978, ask about lead paint before any modification work, since installing a lift can involve drilling into older painted stairs.
Start with the Northampton County Area Agency on Aging if the person needing the lift is 60 or older. The agency does needs assessments and the nursing-facility level-of-care assessments that open the door to Community HealthChoices waiver funding, which does list stair lifts under home adaptations.
Homeowners with household income at or below 80% of Area Median Income can look at the Whole-Home Repairs Program, which funds accessibility work up to $50,000 per owner-occupied unit while funding lasts. Veterans can call Northampton County Veterans Affairs at (610) 829-6500 about VA grants. The programs below list who to call.
A Medicaid waiver for adults 21 and older who meet nursing-facility level of care and qualify financially; stair lifts are covered as a home adaptation when prior-authorized through the participant's managed care organization (AmeriHealth Caritas, PA Health & Wellness, or UPMC Community HealthChoices). Call (833) 735-4416.
Serves county residents 60 and older and their caregivers, arranging in-home services based on an assessment, with possible cost-share; whether stair lifts are funded directly is unknown, but the agency refers people to waiver home-modification funding. Call (610) 829-4540.
A nonprofit for people with disabilities in the Lehigh Valley that offers free core services and, depending on funding, small accessibility modifications and referrals; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (610) 770-9781.
Federal grants for veterans and service members who own or will own the home and have a qualifying service-connected disability, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 (FY2026); stair lifts are not specifically listed and would need to be part of an approved adaptation plan. Call (877) 827-3702.
A state program offering up to $50,000 per owner-occupied unit for repairs, including making homes accessible for people with disabilities, for households at or below 80% of Area Median Income; stair lifts are not named specifically. Apply through the county-designated agency at (610) 829-6300.
A low-cost home repair program for income-qualified Lehigh Valley homeowners who live in the home, with applications and a waitlist; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (610) 776-7737.
Older adults
669 Washington St., Easton, 18042
Veterans
669 Washington Street, Easton, 18042
The Area Agency on Aging serves residents 60 and older, but the Community HealthChoices waiver starts at age 21 for people who meet nursing-facility level of care and Medicaid financial rules. The Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living also works with people with disabilities regardless of age, at (610) 770-9781.
Through the Community HealthChoices waiver, stair lifts can be covered as a home adaptation if they are prior-authorized as medically necessary and cost-effective compared with nursing facility care. There is no published statewide dollar cap. The CHC line is (833) 735-4416.
The Northampton County AAA is at 669 Washington St., Easton, 18042, and can be reached at (610) 559-3245. For the OPTIONS in-home services line, call (610) 829-4540.
Often, yes. Straight lifts mount to the stair treads, and curved lifts are built for stairs that turn. We measure the stair width and the space at the top and bottom to see what fits.
Outdoor stair lifts are made for exterior steps like the ones common on sloped streets in downtown Easton, College Hill, and Nazareth. If a wheelchair user needs to get up those steps, a platform lift may make more sense.
Pre-1978 homes bring lead-paint considerations for modification work. Mention the age of your home when you schedule so the installation can be planned with that in mind.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
