McCormick County is lake and river country. Much of its 393.61 square miles follows the shoreline of J. Strom Thurmond Reservoir (Clarks Hill Lake), the Savannah River and Steven Creek, and its three towns, McCormick, Modoc and Mount Carmel, sit among standalone homes rather than apartment blocks.
That layout matters when someone starts having trouble with steps. The county is classified as entirely rural, so most people here live in older single-family houses or lakefront homes, not in buildings with elevators. This page walks through how those homes affect the kind of stair lift that fits, and where to look for help paying for one.
At the 2020 Census, McCormick County had 9,526 residents, a median age of 58.5, and 37.5% of residents aged 65 or older. That is a lot of households where the stairs are starting to feel steeper.
Most people here own their homes: 81.3% of occupied units were owner-occupied in 2020. Owners can usually approve a permanent installation themselves, which keeps the process simple.
Ranch-style homes often have no indoor staircase at all, but the trip from the yard or carport to the door can still involve steps. In those cases an outdoor lift or a platform lift at the entry is usually the conversation, not an indoor rail.
Split-level homes are a different job. They tend to have short flights between levels, and a straight rail often works on each run. If the stairs turn at a landing, a curved rail is built to follow that turn.
Lakefront homes around Clarks Hill Lake commonly sit on sloped lots running down toward the water. Exterior stairs there are exposed to weather, so a lift rated for outdoor use is the one to look at.
The county's 2020 vacancy rate was 24.2%, which reflects a large share of seasonal and vacation homes near the reservoir. If a parent splits time between a lake house and another home, it helps to plan for the stairs in both places.
A home that sits empty for stretches is also worth checking before installation, since stairs and railings need to be sound for any lift to mount properly.
No single program here is documented as paying for stair lifts, so it pays to make a few calls before buying. The VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides. The other programs listed below fund home modifications or repairs in general but do not name stair lifts, so ask each one directly what it can cover.
Good first calls are the Upper Savannah Area Agency on Aging in Greenwood for adults 60 and older, and the McCormick County Veterans Affairs office for veterans. Homeowners on a very low income may also look at USDA repair loans and grants, since the whole county counts as rural.
A Medicaid waiver benefit with a $7,500 per participant lifetime cap for environmental modifications, for people 65+ or adults 18-64 with physical disabilities who meet Nursing Facility Level of Care. Stair lifts are not listed among covered categories; call (888) 549-0820 to ask.
The Area Agency on Aging for McCormick and five neighboring counties, serving people 60+ with limitations in at least two Activities of Daily Living. Stair lifts are not named, so call (864) 941-8075 to confirm what an intake can fund.
The state agency that oversees Home Devices and Minor Home Repair services delivered through the regional Area Agencies on Aging. It does not name stair lifts; reach it at (800) 868-9095.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest over 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 lifetime for very-low-income homeowners 62+ who cannot repay a loan. The source does not say whether stair lifts qualify; call (803) 881-7080.
A VA benefit of $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime for medically justified changes to a veteran's primary home. It explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts; questions go to (706) 733-0188.
Up to $126,526 (FY2026 maximum) for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or structurally modify an accessible home. Stair lifts are not named as covered or excluded.
Up to $25,350 (FY2026 maximum) for accessibility modifications for veterans with qualifying service-connected conditions such as loss of use of both hands. Stair lifts are not named as covered or excluded.
A county office at 610 South Mine Street in McCormick that helps veterans and dependents apply for VA benefits, including HISA, SAH and SHA; it does not fund modifications itself. Call (864) 852-2212.
A Center for Independent Living that funds modifications such as ramps, door widening, handrails and grab bars through grants; stair lifts are not named. Whether it serves McCormick County is unconfirmed, so call (706) 724-6262 to check.
A free statewide service that helps residents find and apply for benefits such as Medicaid and elder care resources. It does not fund modifications; call (800) 726-8774.
Older adults
430 Helix Road, Greenwood, 29646
Veterans
610 South Mine Street, McCormick, 29835
Not through the HISA grant, which specifically excludes stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way, so a veteran should ask the McCormick County Veterans Affairs office at (864) 852-2212 to look at their situation.
The office at 610 South Mine Street in McCormick takes walk-ins Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 12:00pm, with appointments only from 1 to 3pm.
The Upper Savannah Area Agency on Aging serves McCormick County residents 60 and older who have limitations in at least two Activities of Daily Living. Its office is at 430 Helix Road in Greenwood, (864) 941-8069, and its aging programs line is (864) 941-8075.
The county is entirely rural and falls in a USDA-eligible area. The homeowner must be very low income and own and live in the home, and grants require being 62 or older. Call (803) 881-7080 to ask whether stair lift work can be included.
The Community Choices Waiver has a $7,500 per participant lifetime cap for environmental modifications. Stair lifts are not listed among the covered categories, so confirm with (888) 549-0820 before planning around it.
Exterior steps on sloped lakefront lots usually call for a lift built for outdoor use, or a platform lift at the entry. A home visit lets us measure the run and check that the steps can support a rail.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
