Cochran County sits on the flat southern High Plains, 783 square miles of level prairie at 3,500-3,800 ft. Morton is the county seat and the only sizeable town, with Whiteface and Bledsoe as the other communities. Most homes here are single-story ranch houses, farmhouses and manufactured homes, not tall city houses with long staircases.
That changes what a stair lift job looks like in this county. The steps that cause trouble are usually at the porch, the front entry, a split-entry farmhouse or a mobile-home stoop. This page covers which lift fits those homes and which programs a Cochran County household can call about paying for one.
With so many single-story ranch and farmhouse homes, a full interior staircase is less common here than in a city. The climb that wears people out is more often the few steps between the yard and the front door. In a split-entry farmhouse, it can be the short flights up to the living area and down to the lower level.
A straight stair lift handles a split-entry flight well, since those runs are usually short and straight. Curved lifts are built for staircases that turn, and we would only recommend one after seeing the stairs in person. For a manufactured home, the stoop at the door is often the only barrier, and that points toward an outdoor lift or a platform lift.
An outdoor lift on a porch or entry here has to deal with real weather. January lows run around 23°F and July highs around 92°F, so the unit needs a weather cover and parts rated for both cold mornings and hot afternoons. The county averages about 15.62 inches of rain a year, which is light, but blowing dust off sandy loamy soils can get into a track that is left uncovered.
A platform lift is the better choice when someone uses a wheelchair or cannot transfer onto a seat. It carries the chair itself up to porch height. We look at the ground under the steps first, because the base needs a firm, level footing.
Both groups often end up asking about stair lifts and the benefits that might help pay for them. Roughly 65.3% of households own their home, which matters because several programs below apply only to homeowners.
The county's homes are modest in value, with a 2024 median of $53,200. For many families, that makes outside help with the cost worth looking into before paying out of pocket.
No program on this page names stair lifts as a covered item, and one, the VA HISA grant, rules them out in writing. Some of these programs do pay for ramps, handrails and other changes that can solve an entry-step problem. Others act as a front door that can route you to whatever help currently applies.
For most families, a good first call is the South Plains Area Agency on Aging. Its Lubbock office at 1323 58th St. can be reached at (806) 762-8721. Veterans can also contact the Texas Veterans Commission Lubbock Office at 6104 Avenue Q South Drive, Rm. 132, phone (806) 472-3490.
Stair lift dealers and accessibility contractors for this area are based in Lubbock, roughly 60+ miles from most of the county. That distance makes it worth planning the visit well. Measure the steps, take photos of the porch or stairway, and have any program paperwork in hand before the assessment, so one trip covers as much as possible.
Information, benefits counseling and care coordination for adults 60+ and family caregivers in a 15-county region that includes Cochran County, with care coordination covering minor residential repair for homeowners and durable home medical equipment. Stair lifts are not listed by name, so treat it as your intake point and call (806) 687-0940.
A free information and referral service for older adults and people with disabilities in the 15-county South Plains region, including benefits counseling and a Housing Navigator program. Stair lifts are not mentioned in the source; call (855) 937-2372 for a referral.
A Medicaid benefit for STAR+PLUS members 65+ or adults with disabilities, with a $7,500 lifetime maximum plus up to $300 per year for repairs after that, when the change is in the member's individual service plan. Its covered list includes ramps, grab bars and handrails but does not list stair lifts or stair glides.
A one-time grant of up to $22,500 for households that include a person with a disability and earn no more than 80% of Area Median Family Income, open to both homeowners and renters. Covered work includes handrails, ramps and door widening, but stair lifts are not named; call (512) 936-7799.
Low-interest loans up to $20,000 and grants up to $7,500 (combined up to $27,500) for very-low-income homeowners in rural areas like Cochran County, with grants limited to elderly homeowners. Funds go toward repairs and removing health and safety hazards; stair lifts are not listed by name.
A lifetime grant of $6,800 for veterans with a service-connected disability (or a compensable disability rated 50%+) or $2,000 for other qualifying disabilities, for medically needed fixed alterations like ramps. Porch lifts and stair glides are explicitly excluded, so HISA will not pay for a stair lift.
Grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or adapt a home: SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 lifetime (FY2026), plus Temporary Residence Adaptation up to $50,961 or $9,100. The source gives ramps and doorway widening as examples and does not mention stair lifts.
Older adults
1323 58th St., Lubbock, 79412
Veterans
6104 Avenue Q South Drive, Rm. 132, Lubbock, 79412
The STAR+PLUS Minor Home Modifications Benefit has a $7,500 lifetime maximum, but its list of covered items does not include stair lifts or stair glides. It does cover ramps, handrails and grab bars, which can sometimes solve an entry-step problem.
Not through the HISA grant, which explicitly excludes porch lifts and stair glides. The SAH and SHA grants fund larger home adaptations for severe service-connected disabilities, but the source does not mention stair lifts, so ask the Texas Veterans Commission Lubbock Office at (806) 472-3490.
The South Plains Area Agency on Aging serves adults 60+ and family caregivers. Younger people with a disability can look at the South Plains ADRC at (855) 937-2372 and the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program, which is based on disability and income rather than age.
The Amy Young Barrier Removal Program accepts both homeowners and renters. The USDA Section 504 program is for homeowner-occupants only.
Often the only steps are at the porch or a mobile-home stoop. In that case an outdoor lift, a platform lift or a ramp may fit better than an indoor stair lift.
Start with the South Plains Area Agency on Aging at (806) 687-0940 or its Lubbock office at (806) 762-8721. They can route a Cochran County senior to whichever waiver or grant program currently applies.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
