Midland County is flat West Texas country, but plenty of the houses in Midland are not. Homes bought or built during past oil booms often have split-level or two-story layouts, and those are less common in older, flatter West Texas towns. If a parent is still living in one of those houses, the stairs inside are usually the problem, not the land outside.
Most of the county lives in the city itself. As of the 2020 Census, 86.3% of residents lived in urban areas, chiefly Midland, and 13.7% lived in rural parts of the county. This page explains which kind of stair lift tends to fit local homes and which programs may help with the cost.
A split-level home usually has short flights of stairs between levels instead of one long run. Each short flight can often take its own straight stair lift, which is simpler and quicker to install than a single lift that turns corners.
Two-story houses vary more. If the staircase runs straight from bottom to top, a straight rail is the usual answer. If it has a landing that turns, or a curve, you are looking at a curved rail built to fit that staircase, so we measure before giving any recommendation.
Townhouses in Midland often put bedrooms upstairs, with a narrow straight staircase along one wall. That layout tends to suit a straight stair lift, as long as there is room at the top and bottom for the person to get on and off safely.
Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings are different, because the stairs are often shared or outside. In those cases an outdoor-rated lift or a platform lift may be the better fit, and the building owner needs to be part of the conversation. Since 65.1% of homes in the county are owner-occupied, a fair share of residents rent and should check with the owner first.
That second number matters, because veterans have a county office to help with benefits, though the main VA home alteration grant does not pay for stair lifts.
Home values have climbed. DataUSA puts the 2024 median property value at $319,200, up 6.9% from $298,600 the year before. For many families, that makes staying put and adding a lift a more practical choice than selling and moving.
If your parent lives in Midland, installers and contractors are close by. That usually makes the home visit, installation and any later service calls easier to schedule.
The smaller rural share of the county faces longer service distances. If the house is outside the city, mention that when you call so the visit can be planned around it.
Oil-price swings drive big changes in local income, and that can make an out-of-pocket purchase hard to manage during a downturn. That is when assistance programs matter most, but none of the programs below name stair lifts as a covered item on the sources we reviewed.
A good first call for anyone 60 or older is the Area Agency on Aging of the Permian Basin at (432) 563-1061. Veterans can call the Midland County Veterans Commission at (432) 688-4879. Medicaid members can ask about home modifications through STAR+PLUS at (877) 782-6440, and the details for each program are listed below.
A Texas Medicaid waiver for residents 21 and older who meet Nursing Facility Level of Care, with income up to 300% of the SSI federal benefit rate and countable assets of no more than $2,000. It covers minor home modifications approved through the member's plan of care, but stair lifts are not listed by name; call (877) 782-6440.
A one-time accessibility grant of up to $22,500 per household that includes a Person with a Disability and earns at or below 80% of AMFI, open to tenants or homeowners. Stair lifts are not listed on the source, and whether a provider serves Midland County is not confirmed, so start with 2-1-1 Texas; the listed contact is (915) 851-0272.
Loans up to $20,000 at 1% fixed interest over 20 years, and grants up to $7,500 for owners 62 and older, with a combined cap of $27,500 for very-low-income rural homeowners. Stair lifts are not listed, and the City of Midland is very unlikely to qualify as rural, so only sparsely populated parts of the county might be eligible.
A lifetime VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability status, for medically necessary fixed alterations like permanent ramps or roll-in showers. It does not cover stair lifts, since stair glides are excluded; ask about it through the Veterans Commission at (432) 688-4879.
A county office at 2110 N A Street, Midland, TX 79705 that helps veterans and their families with VA benefits, open Tuesday to Friday, 8:00am to 12:00pm and 1:00pm to 5:00pm. It is a referral and advocacy office rather than a funding source, and stair lifts are not listed; call (432) 688-4879.
Serves adults 60 and older and their caregivers across a 17-county region that includes Midland County, with free care coordination, benefits counseling and caregiver support, plus referral to a local volunteer home-repair group. Stair lifts are not listed; call (432) 563-1061.
A Midland nonprofit that does volunteer-labor home repairs for elderly and disabled homeowners on fixed or limited incomes; it is not a cash grant. Stair lifts are not listed, so call (432) 683-4177 to ask about current project scope.
Older adults
2514 Kermit Highway, Odessa, 79764
Veterans
2110 N A Street, Midland, 79705
No. The VA HISA page excludes removable equipment such as stair glides and porch lifts. HISA pays for fixed changes like permanent ramps or roll-in showers. The Midland County Veterans Commission at (432) 688-4879 can help you look at other VA benefits.
Not always. Split-level homes often have short, straight flights between levels, and each can sometimes take its own straight lift. A measurement at the house tells you which setup fits.
Probably not. The City of Midland is very unlikely to fall inside a USDA-eligible rural boundary. Only unincorporated, sparsely populated parts of the county might qualify, and that has to be checked on the USDA Rural Development eligibility map.
The Area Agency on Aging of the Permian Basin at (432) 563-1061. It serves Midland County residents 60 and older and their caregivers, and it can refer homeowners to the local volunteer repair group, Christmas In Action, at (432) 683-4177.
STAR+PLUS lists minor home modifications as a covered service, but it does not name stair lifts. Approval is case by case through the member's plan of care and managed care organization. Call (877) 782-6440 to ask.
The Amy Young Barrier Removal (AYBR) Program accepts tenants or homeowners, if the household includes a Person with a Disability and earns at or below 80% of AMFI. Whether a provider currently serves Midland County needs to be confirmed, so start by calling 2-1-1 Texas.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
