Jim Wells County covers about 845 square miles of flat South Texas Plains west of Corpus Christi. Alice is the county seat, and the rest of the county is mostly rural, with smaller communities like Premont, Orange Grove, Ben Bolt, Sandia and Alfred spread across ranch and farm country.
The land may be flat, but plenty of homes here are not. Split-level houses, raised porches and walk-up apartments all put steps between people and the rooms they use every day. This page explains how stair lifts fit the homes in this county and which local and federal programs are worth a phone call before you pay out of pocket.
The housing here is mostly single-family homes and ranch-style homes, with some split-level homes and walk-up apartments. In Premont and Orange Grove, the Texas State Historical Association describes older, smaller housing typical of early-to-mid-20th-century South Texas farm and ranch towns.
A split-level home usually has short flights between levels, and those short runs are often a good fit for a straight stair lift. Older farm and ranch town houses can have narrow stairways or steps at the entry, so we measure the width, the landing space and the number of steps before recommending anything.
A straight stair lift runs on a rail along one straight flight. If the stairs turn, have a landing in the middle or curve, a curved lift is built to follow that exact path, which takes more measuring and more time to make.
Porch and entry steps matter here too. July in the county averages 74-96°F and the area gets about 28 inches of rain a year, so any lift mounted outside has to be an outdoor model built for heat and wet weather. Where someone uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift is the option to ask about.
Walk-up apartments are a different situation. Renters need the property owner's approval before any lift is installed on a shared or private stairway.
About 15.9% of county residents are 65 or older, and 62.4% are homeowners. That is a lot of people living in homes they own and plan to stay in, which is exactly where a stair lift makes sense.
That makes the VA programs below, and the Jim Wells County Veteran's Services Office in Alice, an important first stop for many families.
The county is spread out, and the Texas State Historical Association notes it stays predominantly rural outside Alice. For families in places like Rancho Alegre, K-Bar Ranch, Coyote Acres, Amargosa or Westdale, that can mean longer travel distances for installers and contractors.
It helps to plan ahead. Have stair measurements, photos of the stairway and any entry steps, and a list of who will use the lift ready before the first visit, so the assessment and installation can be handled in as few trips as possible.
None of the local programs listed below names stair lifts outright, and one VA grant specifically excludes them. That does not mean there is no help. It means you should call, explain the situation in the home, and ask directly.
For very-low-income homeowners, the USDA Section 504 Home Repair Program is the most concrete option, since its grants are for removing health and safety hazards. Jim Wells County promoted an informational session on April 22, 2026 at the Jim Wells County Fairgrounds, 3001 S. Johnson St., Alice, TX.
Veterans should start with the Jim Wells County Veteran's Services Office at 601 E. Main Street, Suite 110, Alice, (361) 668-5715. Statewide, you can also ask about the STAR+PLUS Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver, the Amy Young Barrier Removal Program (AYBR), VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics), and the Community Living Assistance and Support Services (CLASS) Waiver.
Offers benefits counseling, care coordination, caregiver support, transportation and fall-prevention classes for adults 60+, their family caregivers and Medicare beneficiaries; its program page does not list stair lifts or home modifications. Call (361) 883-5743 as a starting point for referrals.
Helps older adults and people with disabilities in the Coastal Bend, including Jim Wells County, with information, benefits applications and housing navigation; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (361) 883-3935 and ask Housing Navigation Services about local accessibility resources.
Low-interest loans up to $40,000 and grants up to $10,000 (up to $50,000 combined) for very-low-income homeowners, with grants limited to those 62 or older who cannot repay a loan; stair lifts are not named, so coverage would be case by case as a health and safety hazard. Call (936) 261-5764.
A lifetime grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability status, for medically necessary structural changes to a veteran's home. The VA explicitly excludes stair glides, so it does not cover stair lifts; call (800) 827-1000 with questions.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026; the VA source mentions ramps and widened doorways but does not list stair lifts. Call (800) 827-1000.
Helps people with significant disabilities buy assistive and rehabilitation technology, with participants paying a share based on income and expenses; stair lifts are not named on its page. Call (361) 883-8461 to confirm coverage for Jim Wells County.
Older adults
2910 Leopard St., Corpus Christi, 78408
Veterans
601 E. Main Street, Suite 110, Alice, 78332
No. The VA HISA program page explicitly excludes stair glides as removable equipment. Veterans with severe service-connected disabilities can ask about the SAH and SHA grants at (800) 827-1000, though stair lifts are not named there either.
The USDA Section 504 Home Repair Program offers grants up to $10,000 to very-low-income homeowners who are 62 or older and unable to repay a repair loan. The grant must go toward removing health and safety hazards. Call (936) 261-5764.
The Jim Wells County Veteran's Services Office at 601 E. Main Street, Suite 110, Alice, phone (361) 668-5715. They can help sort out which VA benefits apply.
The Area Agency on Aging of the Coastal Bend serves adults 60 and older, but it also serves Medicare beneficiaries of any age. The Coastal Bend Center for Independent Living serves people with significant disabilities with no age limit stated.
Yes, with an outdoor model. Summers here are hot and the county gets about 28 inches of rain a year, so the lift needs to be built for outdoor use.
The county is mostly rural outside Alice, and travel distances are longer. Having stair measurements and photos ready before the first visit helps keep the number of trips down.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
