Paducah is the county seat and the only substantial town in Cottle County. Much of its housing dates from the cotton-boom years and the decades after, when the county went from a peak of 9,395 people in 1930 to a much smaller community today. Very little new housing has been built since, so many families live in older small-town houses and farm or ranch homes.
Those older homes often come with several steps at the front or back door, and some have narrow inside stairways. This page walks through what that means for a stair lift, which kind tends to fit, and which programs a Cottle County household can call about to help with the cost.
Most homes in the county are single-family homes, detached houses and ranch-style homes, with a few low-rise buildings. Early-to-mid-20th-century rural West Texas construction often raised the house off the ground, which means a run of steps just to get inside.
In a one-story ranch-style home, the hard part is usually the entry, not an inside staircase. That points toward an outdoor stair lift on the porch steps, or a platform lift if a wheelchair is involved.
Where a house does have an inside staircase, a straight flight takes a straight rail lift. Stairs that turn or have a landing need a curved rail built to fit that staircase.
Cottle County covers about 900 to 902 square miles of rolling prairie, rough in the west and more level to the east, at elevations from 1,600 to 2,100 feet. The county is 100% rural under the 2020 Census.
Outdoor lifts here face open weather, so the rail, seat and controls need to be rated for outdoor use. Farm and ranch homes set on uneven ground may also need a look at how the bottom of the rail meets the yard.
US Routes 62, 70 and 83 connect the county to larger regional hubs, and many residents travel a long way for installers and medical providers. Planning the measurements and the paperwork for any assistance program in one visit saves trips.
About 26.0% of Cottle County residents are 65 or older, and 76.0% of households own their homes. Owning the house matters, because several programs below require the applicant to own and live in it.
VA housing grants have strict rules on what they pay for, so it helps to know those rules before an install is scheduled.
Median household income in the county is $59,063 and the poverty rate is 17.1%, so many senior homeowners look for help before paying out of pocket. None of the programs listed below names stair lifts as a covered item, and one of them specifically excludes them.
For older adults, the North Texas AAA in Wichita Falls at (940) 322-5281 is the local starting point for referrals. Medicaid-eligible adults can ask about the STAR+PLUS waiver's minor home modifications benefit, and very-low-income homeowners can look at USDA Section 504 repair help.
Texas also has statewide programs worth asking about, including the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program (AYBR) and the Community Living Assistance and Support Services (CLASS) Waiver. Veterans can reach the Workforce Solutions North Texas Veterans Resource & Referral Specialist, David Yocom, at (806) 765-5038, 4309 Old Jacksboro Hwy, Suite 300, Wichita Falls.
A Texas Medicaid managed-care waiver for adults 21 and older who need nursing-facility level of care; it lists minor home modifications as a covered service but does not name stair lifts or state a dollar cap. Ask your STAR+PLUS service coordinator about the current limit, or call (877) 782-6440.
Serves adults 60 and older and their caregivers in 11 counties, including Cottle, with care coordination, caregiver support, benefits counseling and referrals; no stair lift fund is named. Call (940) 322-5281 to ask about in-home accessibility help in the region.
Low-interest repair loans for very-low-income rural homeowners, with grants limited to homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan; the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (800) 670-6553 to ask whether your project qualifies.
A lifetime VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary structural changes, but it does not cover stair lifts, which the VA treats as removable equipment. Call (800) 827-1000 for other home alterations.
Grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or adapt a home, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA (FY2026); the VA page does not mention stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000 to check eligibility.
Older adults
4309 Jacksboro Highway, Wichita Falls, 76302
Veterans
4309 Old Jacksboro Hwy, Suite 300, Wichita Falls, 76302
No. The VA HISA page excludes stair glides, porch lifts and portable ramps as removable equipment. Veterans with severe service-connected disabilities can ask about SAH or SHA grants at (800) 827-1000, though that page does not mention stair lifts either.
The Area Agency on Aging serves people 60 and older. The STAR+PLUS waiver starts at age 21 for Texas Medicaid-eligible adults who need nursing-facility level of care, so it may be an option for a younger adult.
Yes. The county qualifies as a USDA rural area. You still need to own and live in the home and have very-low household income, and grants are limited to homeowners 62 and older.
Often the steps at the door are the problem in a ranch-style home. An outdoor stair lift on the entry steps, or a platform lift for a wheelchair, is the usual answer.
The North Texas AAA at 4309 Jacksboro Highway, Wichita Falls 76302, phone (940) 322-5281, handles referrals and benefits counseling for county residents 60 and older. Veterans can also call David Yocom at (806) 765-5038.
The STAR+PLUS waiver covers minor home modifications, but its source does not name stair lifts or give a benefit limit. Ask your STAR+PLUS MCO service coordinator or call (877) 782-6440.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
