Quanah is the county seat and the only incorporated town in Hardeman County, and roughly two-thirds of the county lives there. The rest are spread across Chillicothe, Acme, Goodlett and Medicine Mound, out on the rolling prairie between the Red River to the north and the Pease River to the south.
Many of the houses here are older single-family and ranch-style homes, often built with raised entries and interior stairs before modern accessibility codes existed. That is the starting point for deciding whether a stair lift makes sense, which type fits, and which local programs might help cover the cost.
The county had 1,804 housing units in 2020, and most are detached, single-family houses. A ranch-style home may have no interior stairs at all, but a raised entry can still leave a few steps between the driveway and the front door.
For a two-story house with a straight run of interior stairs, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest install. It mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so older plaster or paneling is rarely a problem.
Stairs that turn at a landing or wrap around need a curved lift built to that staircase. Those take longer to make and cost more, so it helps to measure early and know what you are working with.
Raised entries are common in older small-town Texas houses, and they are often the hardest part of the home for someone with weak knees or poor balance. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle sun, wind and weather on exterior steps.
If the person uses a wheelchair, a chair-style lift will not solve the problem. In that case a vertical platform lift at the porch or entry is usually the better fit, since the wheelchair rolls on and rides up.
About 20.9% of county residents are 65 or older, and 67.7% own their homes. Owners can make permanent changes like a stair lift without asking a landlord, and many of the programs below require you to own and live in the home.
If a parent served, check the VA programs below before buying, but know that one of them excludes stair lifts by name.
Homeowners in Chillicothe, Acme, Goodlett or Medicine Mound often face longer drives for contractors and in-home assessments, many of which come out of larger markets like Wichita Falls. Plan for that when scheduling a measurement visit.
The county covers about 688 square miles, at elevations from 1,300 to 1,700 feet. Ask any installer up front whether they serve your community and how service calls work at that distance.
Cost matters here. The 2024 median household income was $63,333, with a 10.7% poverty rate, so many families look for help before paying out of pocket.
As a rough guide, the STAR+PLUS source lists $2,900 to $8,000 for a straight stair lift and up to $25,000 for a curved model. STAR+PLUS is the program that states directly it can pay toward a stair lift, but it has an interest list that can take months or longer.
Other options, like USDA repair loans and grants or weatherization and rehab help, focus on home repairs and accessibility but do not name stair lifts. The Area Agency on Aging of North Texas can help sort out which ones fit your situation. Statewide, the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program (AYBR) and the Community Living Assistance and Support Services (CLASS) Waiver are also worth asking about.
This Texas Medicaid waiver can pay toward a stair lift through its minor home modifications benefit, approved case by case, for Texans 65+ or with a qualifying disability who meet Medicaid limits and a nursing-facility level of care. Join the interest list early by calling (877) 438-5658 or 2-1-1.
Serves adults 60+ and family caregivers in Hardeman and ten other counties with information and referral, care coordination and benefits counseling; stair lifts are not listed as a funded service. Call (940) 322-5281.
A community action agency serving income-eligible Hardeman County homeowners, with priority for elderly and disabled residents; stair lifts are not listed among its services. The Crowell office is at (940) 684-1571.
Offers loans up to $40,000 at 1% and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62+ who cannot repay a loan, for rural households below 50% of area median income. Accessibility work like ramps is mentioned, but stair lifts are not listed by name.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary home alterations for veterans, but it does not cover stair lifts; stair glides and porch lifts are excluded.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities to adapt a home; stair lifts are not listed by name. The Texas Veterans Commission office in Lubbock can help at (940) 676-4140.
Older adults
4309 Jacksboro Highway, Wichita Falls, 76302
Veterans
6104 Avenue Q South Drive, Lubbock, 79412
It can. The STAR+PLUS HCBS Waiver states it can pay toward a stair lift as a minor home modification when it supports safety and independence. You must meet Medicaid limits and a nursing-facility level of care, and there is an interest list. Call (877) 438-5658.
No. HISA specifically excludes stair glides, porch lifts and portable ramps. Veterans with severe service-connected disabilities can ask about SAH or SHA grants, though stair lifts are not named there either. The Texas Veterans Commission in Lubbock is at (940) 676-4140.
The Area Agency on Aging of North Texas serves adults 60 and older. STAR+PLUS also accepts people with a qualifying disability, not only those 65+, so a younger adult with a disability may still qualify there.
USDA Section 504 grants of up to $10,000 are for homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan and whose income is below 50% of area median income. The program mentions accessibility work like ramps but does not list stair lifts by name, so ask before you plan around it.
Yes, but expect longer travel times for assessments and installs in places like Chillicothe, Acme, Goodlett or Medicine Mound, since many providers come from markets like Wichita Falls. Ask about your community when you book a visit.
Call the North Texas AAA in Wichita Falls at (940) 322-5281 for benefits counseling and referrals. If income is limited, Rolling Plains Management Corporation at (940) 684-1571 is another local contact.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
