Dillon County sits in the rural northeastern corner of South Carolina on the North Carolina line, with the Great Pee Dee and Little Pee Dee Rivers and their swampland running through it. Most people here do not live in town. Roughly 70% of residents live in rural, unincorporated communities spread across the county rather than in Dillon, Latta or Lake View.
That spread matters when stairs start to become a problem. Many long-time owners are staying in the same modest house they have owned for decades, and getting a contractor, a doctor or an aging services worker out to a farm road takes planning. This page walks through what kinds of lifts fit the homes here and where to look for help paying for one.
The county had 13,149 housing units in the latest Census estimate, and the median owner-occupied home value was $85,400. A lot of that stock is older, modest and largely single-story, the kind of house typical of small Pee Dee farm towns. In a one-story home, the stairs that cause trouble are often the ones outside, at the front or back door.
Where there is an indoor staircase, it is usually a straight run, and a straight rail lift is the simplest and least costly fix. Split-level homes are a different case: they tend to have short flights between levels, sometimes more than one, so we measure each flight before recommending anything.
Curved lifts are built to the shape of a staircase that turns or has a landing. They take longer to make and cost more, so it is worth confirming the stairs really need one.
For entry steps, an outdoor-rated stair lift or a vertical platform lift can be an option. A platform lift suits someone who uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat. Outdoor units are built to handle weather, which matters in a low, river-crossed county.
Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings come up in Dillon and the other towns too. A lift on a shared stairway needs the owner's permission and has to leave room for others to pass, so talk with the landlord or building manager before you plan anything.
With most residents living outside the towns of Dillon, Latta and Lake View, a home visit, the install day and any later service call all mean a drive. Bundling the measurement, paperwork and installation into as few trips as possible saves time for the family.
About 19.4% of residents are 65 or older, so many households here are facing the same question at once. If a parent lives out in the county and you live elsewhere, it helps to have stair measurements, a photo of the staircase and the program paperwork ready before the first call.
Money is a real concern here. Median household income is $46,605 and the poverty rate is 27.7%, well above the national average, so many older homeowners cannot easily pay out of pocket. The programs listed below are where to start.
Be aware that none of these programs name stair lifts on their source pages. Some fund repairs or home modifications in general, and some list only ramps or bathroom changes. Call and ask directly whether a stair lift or platform lift can be approved before you count on the money.
For older adults, the Pee Dee AAA (Vantage Point) in Hartsville at (843) 383-8632 is a good first call.
Federal repair loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest over 20 years and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income rural homeowners, with grants limited to applicants 62 and older and to removing health and safety hazards. Stair lifts are not named on the source page, and you must confirm your address is eligible with USDA's address-lookup tool.
A VA grant of up to $126,526 for a permanent home for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities, such as loss of use of both legs. The VA gives ramps and wider doorways as examples and does not mention stair lifts.
A VA grant of up to $25,350 for a permanent home for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities, and the home may belong to the veteran or a family member. Stair lifts are not named in the program description.
A lifetime benefit of up to $6,800 for service-connected disabilities, or up to $2,000 for other eligible disabilities, for medically justified home changes. The source does not confirm whether stair lifts qualify; the Dillon County Veteran’s Affairs Office at (843) 774-1427 can help you ask.
A Medicaid waiver for residents 65 and older, or physically disabled adults 18 to 64, who need a nursing facility level of care, with a 2026 income limit of $2,982 a month for a single applicant. Listed home modifications are wheelchair ramps and bathroom changes, not stair lifts; call (888) 549-0820.
Home modifications for people already enrolled in a DDSN waiver such as HASCI or Community Supports, with limits set by an annual cap that your case manager can tell you. The program's list of items it does not cover includes stairs, so a stair lift is unlikely to qualify.
Ramp construction and home modification services for older adults, typically 60 and older, in six Pee Dee counties including Dillon. Whether stair lifts are ever funded is not stated, so call (843) 383-8632 to ask.
Support for family caregivers of adults 60 and older, including limited financial help with household modifications. Stair lifts are not named; call (843) 383-8632.
A block grant run by the SC Dept of Commerce that funds local government projects, generally aimed at low-to-moderate income households. The program page does not mention stair lifts or housing repair, so ask Dillon County government whether a housing rehab grant is active, or call (803) 734-0429.
A state home repair program for low- and very-low-income homeowners, applied for through a local approved sponsor, with a successor Housing Preservation Initiative taking new sponsor applications starting July 1, 2026. It does not say whether stair lifts are eligible repairs.
Older adults
216 South 2nd Street, Hartsville, 29551
Veterans
401 W Main St, Room 302, Dillon, 29536
Not as far as the program pages show. The Community Choices Waiver lists wheelchair ramps and bathroom modifications, and the DDSN Environmental Modifications benefit lists stairs among items it does not cover. You can still call the Community Choices line at (888) 549-0820 to ask.
Some programs reach younger adults. The Community Choices Waiver serves physically disabled adults 18 to 64 who need a nursing facility level of care, and the USDA Section 504 loan is open to very-low-income rural homeowners of any age, though its grants are limited to people 62 and older.
Go to the Dillon County Veteran’s Affairs Office at 401 W Main St, Room 302 in Dillon, or call (843) 774-1427. They can help you see whether the SAH, SHA or HISA grants fit your situation.
Dillon County is rural and is a plausible eligible area for the Section 504 program, but you have to confirm your exact address with USDA's address-lookup tool before applying.
Often, yes. Split-level homes usually have short flights between levels, which are commonly straight runs. Each flight is measured separately, and more than one lift may be needed depending on which levels the person uses.
The Pee Dee AAA (Vantage Point) at 216 South 2nd Street in Hartsville serves Dillon County. Their number is (843) 383-8632, and they handle both home modification services and the Family Caregiver Support Program.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
