Andrews County has two towns, Andrews and McKinney Acres, spread across about 1,501 square miles of the southern High Plains. Andrews is the county seat and the only incorporated city, and its houses were built in waves as one drilling boom followed another. That means a street can hold an older single-story ranch-style home next to a newer boom-era build.
For a stair lift, those differences matter more than the town name. A split-level from an earlier boom cycle, a two-story house from the 2000s or 2010s, and a unit in a low-rise building each call for a different kind of lift. This page walks through how local homes line up with lift types and which programs may help with the cost.
Housing in Andrews reflects successive drilling booms rather than one building era. City-data.com shows the estimated median house/condo value went from $38,300 in 2000 to $216,636 in 2024, which fits a picture of modest older homes joined by newer construction.
Older Permian Basin homes more often used simple single-level or split-level layouts. In a split-level, the run of stairs is usually short and often straight, which is the simplest and least involved lift to fit. Newer multi-story builds may have longer flights, landings or turns, and a stair that turns typically needs a curved rail built to that staircase.
Many ranch-style homes have no interior stairs at all. In those houses the steps that cause trouble are often at the entry, where an outdoor lift or a platform lift is the better question to ask during a home visit.
About 81.7% of residents live in the urban parts of the county, and the other 18.3% live in rural areas. Population density is low, about 12.4 persons per square mile, and much of the land around Baird Lake and Shafter Lake is open plains.
If the home is out past town, plan for a longer drive for installers and home-modification contractors based in Andrews. It helps to have measurements, photos of the stairs and any funding paperwork ready before the visit so the trip covers as much as possible.
Of the county's 14,021 residents, 9.5% are 65 or older and 74.1% own their homes. Owning the house matters, because several programs below are written for homeowner-occupants, and a permanent rail is easier to plan when you control the property.
The county's Veterans Service Office in Andrews is a good first call for those households, with one caution about VA grants covered in the next section.
Oil and gas have driven the local economy since the first major discovery in 1929, with ranching, cotton and sorghum farming as a secondary base. When oil prices drop, local incomes and housing costs swing too, and out-of-pocket home modifications get harder for seniors to afford.
None of the programs listed below name stair lifts as a covered item on the sources reviewed, and the VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides. Several do fund home modifications or health and safety repairs, so it is worth calling and asking directly whether a lift could be approved in your case.
Texas also lists the Community Living Assistance and Support Services (CLASS) Waiver among its statewide programs. Ask the Permian Basin AAA at (432) 563-1061, 2514 Kermit Highway in Odessa, which options fit your household.
A Texas Medicaid managed-care waiver for residents 65 and older or adults with a qualifying disability who meet Nursing Facility Level of Care, with income up to $2,982/month for a single applicant and a $2,000 asset limit. Home modifications such as grab bars and ramps are covered, but stair lifts are not listed by name and would be decided case by case; call (877) 438-5658.
A TDHCA one-time grant of up to $22,500 per household for tenants or homeowners whose household includes a person with a disability and has income at or below 80% of AMFI. Stair lifts are not listed on the source reviewed, and whether funds currently reach Andrews County should be confirmed at (915) 851-0272.
Loans up to $20,000 at 1% fixed interest over 20 years, and grants up to $7,500 for homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan, combined up to $27,500, for very-low-income owners in rural areas such as Andrews County. Stair lifts are not listed by name; grants fund removal of a health or safety hazard, so coverage would depend on the area office.
A VA benefit with a $6,800 lifetime maximum for service-connected disabilities (or 50%+ combined rating) and $2,000 for other eligible disabilities, for medically necessary fixed alterations. Stair glides are explicitly excluded, so it does not cover a stair lift; the Veterans Service Office at (432) 524-2488 can explain other VA options.
The AAA serves adults 60 and older and caregivers, and refers elderly and disabled homeowners on fixed incomes to Christmas in Action, a volunteer home-repair nonprofit. Stair lifts are not listed, and Andrews County coverage should be confirmed by calling (432) 563-1061.
A nonprofit Center for Independent Living in Odessa that purchases goods and services for people with significant disabilities, including durable medical equipment, hearing aids and prosthetics. Stair lifts are not listed and Andrews County service should be verified at (432) 580-3439.
Older adults
2514 Kermit Highway, Odessa, 79764
Veterans
201 North Main Street Rm 111, Andrews, 79714
Not through the HISA grant, which explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The Veterans Service Office at 201 North Main Street Rm 111 in Andrews, (432) 524-2488, can talk through what VA benefits might apply.
Yes, possibly. STAR+PLUS covers adults with a qualifying disability as well as people 65 and older, and the AYBR Program and ABLE Center for Independent Living are based on disability rather than age. The AAA's services are for adults 60 and older.
Andrews County is presumptively rural for USDA Section 504, which offers repair loans up to $20,000 and grants up to $7,500 for owners 62 and older with very low income. Stair lifts are not named, so ask whether your stairs count as a health or safety hazard.
Split-levels from earlier boom cycles often have a short, straight run of stairs, which is usually the simplest lift to fit. A home visit confirms the measurements and whether any turn or landing needs a curved rail.
The source lists income up to $2,982/month for a single applicant, an asset limit of $2,000 single or $3,000 if both spouses apply, and a home equity limit of $752,000. Call (877) 438-5658 to apply or ask about home modifications.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
