Lexington County has been building fast. The population grew about 12% from 2010 to 2020 and an estimated further 8% through 2025, and much of that growth landed in suburbs like Lexington, Chapin and along the Lake Murray shoreline. Many of those houses are two-story builder-grade designs with the primary bedroom upstairs.
That layout works fine until climbing a full flight of stairs every night becomes hard. This page covers the 19 towns and communities of Lexington County, from West Columbia, Cayce and Seven Oaks to Batesburg-Leesville, Pelion, Swansea and Gilbert. It explains which kind of stair lift tends to suit local homes and where to look for help paying for one.
The county had roughly 138,788 housing units by mid-2025, up from 127,887 in the 2020 census. A large share are relatively recent single-family and detached houses where the bedroom or the main bathroom sits at the top of one interior staircase.
Newer construction often means a single straight run of stairs. A straight stair lift mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, and it is usually the simplest install. If your staircase turns at a landing or curves, a custom curved rail is needed, and we measure on site before quoting anything.
Split-level homes are common in parts of the county, and they bring a different problem: several short flights instead of one long one. Sometimes one lift covers the flight that matters most, such as the one to the bedrooms. Other homes need a lift on more than one flight, or a curved rail that follows the turns.
Townhouses tend to have narrow, steep stairs, so the folding seat and footrest of a lift matter for whoever else uses the stairs. In walk-up apartments, the stairs usually belong to the building, so the owner or manager has to approve any installation first.
Lexington County gets roughly 47 inches of precipitation a year, with July highs near 92°F and January lows around 33°F. Humidity and heavy rain can leave exterior steps and porch stairs slick, which adds a fall risk on top of any stairs inside.
For a front porch, a deck or steps down to a carport, an outdoor stair lift built for weather exposure is the usual answer. Where a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat. This matters in the more rural western and southern parts of the county, where about a quarter of residents live and homes often have raised entries.
Around 77.4% of housing units were owner-occupied as of mid-2025, so most families here are making changes to a home they own and intend to stay in.
Owning the home matters for funding too. Several of the programs below, including the VA housing grants, require that the person owns or will own the home being modified.
Wages in the county vary widely by industry, from about $20,436 a year in food services to $92,144 in utilities, and many older homeowners live on fixed incomes. Medicaid, VA and other assistance can make a difference, so it is worth checking before paying out of pocket.
The South Carolina Community Choices Waiver is the one program here whose source lists home modifications as a covered service. Veterans should look at the VA grants and the Lexington County Veterans Affairs Office at 605 West Main Street in Lexington, (803) 785-8400. For a general starting point, the Central Midlands AAA at 236 Stoneridge Drive in Columbia can be reached at (803) 376-5390.
Statewide, families can also look into the South Carolina Assistive Technology Loan Program, VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics) and the South Carolina Homestead Exemption (Property-Tax Relief). Details on each program with a local contact are listed below.
Federal grants for veterans and service members with a qualifying service-connected disability to buy, build or modify a home for accessibility, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 (FY2026). The source does not mention stair lifts specifically; call (800) 827-1000.
A monthly payment added to a VA pension for wartime veterans or surviving spouses who need help with daily activities or are substantially confined to their home. The source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications, but the cash can be put toward household needs; call (800) 827-1000.
A Medicaid waiver for South Carolina residents 65 and older, or adults 18 to 64 with a qualifying physical disability, who meet a nursing facility level of care; home modifications are a listed covered service, though stair lifts are not named individually. The 2026 income limit is $2,982 a month for a single applicant, slots can carry a waitlist, and the number is (888) 549-0820.
A non-profit center for independent living whose 23-county service area includes Lexington County, offering independent living support, housing search and advocacy, and daily living skills. The source does not mention stair lifts or home modification funding; call (803) 779-5121 for help working through other programs.
Older adults
236 Stoneridge Drive, Columbia, 29210
Veterans
605 West Main Street, Lexington, 29072
Many recent builds in places like Lexington and Chapin have one straight flight, which takes a straight stair lift. If the stairs turn at a landing or curve, you will need a curved rail made to fit. A measurement at the home settles it.
The South Carolina Community Choices Waiver lists home modifications as a covered service, though stair lifts are not named individually. Applicants must meet a nursing facility level of care, and the 2026 limits are $2,982 a month in income and $2,000 in assets for a single applicant. Call (888) 549-0820 to ask.
No. For the South Carolina Community Choices Waiver, home equity is exempt up to $752,000.
Yes. The Community Choices Waiver also covers adults 18 to 64 with a qualifying physical disability. ABLE South Carolina serves people with disabilities in Lexington County at (803) 779-5121.
The Lexington County Veterans Affairs Office at 605 West Main Street in Lexington, (803) 785-8400, can help with VA paperwork. The national VA line for the housing grants and Aid and Attendance is (800) 827-1000.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are built for weather exposure. With about 47 inches of precipitation a year in the county, slick exterior steps are a real concern, and an outdoor lift or a platform lift can replace climbing them.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
