From Bountiful and Centerville up through Kaysville, Layton, Clearfield and Syracuse, Davis County's 15 towns sit on a narrow strip between the Great Salt Lake and the Wasatch Range. A large share of the houses here went up during the growth years after WWII, when the county's population doubled between 1940-1950 and doubled again between 1950-1960. Many of those homes are split-level or two-story, built for young families rather than for living on one floor later in life.
That means stairs are part of daily life in a lot of Davis County homes: a half flight at the entry, a full flight to the bedrooms, or steps down to a basement. Foothill lots in Bountiful, Fruit Heights and Farmington add exterior steps and winter snow to the picture. This page walks through which kind of stair lift tends to fit these homes and where to look for help paying for one.
Split-level homes are common across the county, and they often have short flights between levels rather than one long run. A straight stair lift works on a single straight flight, so a home with two short straight flights may need one lift per flight. If the stairs turn at a landing, a curved lift built to that staircase is usually the answer.
Two-story single-family homes and detached houses usually have one main staircase to the bedrooms, which is often a good fit for a straight lift. Basement stairs are worth measuring too, since laundry or a spare bedroom down there can become hard to reach. Townhouses tend to have narrow, steep stairs, so we check width and the space at the top and bottom before recommending a model.
Davis County covers 634 square miles, with real elevation change between the valley floor and the bench neighborhoods. Thurston Peak reaches 9,707 ft, and the higher eastern areas can get up to 90 inches of snow a year, compared with at least 60 inches on the valley floor.
For homes on steep lots, the hardest stairs are sometimes outside: steps from the driveway or garage to the front door. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather, and in snowy months it can matter as much as the indoor lift. Where a wheelchair user needs to get up a rise, a platform lift may make more sense than a seated stair lift.
The county is young overall, with a median age of 31.4, but the 2020 census counted 38,874 residents age 65 or older, or 10.7% of the population. That older group is growing as the county keeps expanding, with an estimated 381,227 residents by 2025.
About 78.2% of residents own their homes, which matters because owners can make permanent changes like installing a stair lift. Many adult children here grew up in these same split-level houses and are now helping a parent decide whether to stay.
There is no single program that simply pays for stair lifts, so it helps to know where to ask. Utah's Medicaid Aging Waiver and the state-funded Alternatives Program both support in-home services for older adults, and Davis County Senior Services in Clearfield at (801) 525-5000 is the local place to start.
Veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities may look at the VA Specially Adapted Housing and Special Home Adaptation grants. The Utah Department of Veterans & Military Affairs, Northern Utah Region, can be reached at (801) 326-2372. Other statewide options to ask about include the New Choices Waiver, the Utah Assistive Technology Foundation (UATF) Loan, and VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics).
A Medicaid waiver for people age 65+ who need nursing-facility level of care and meet Medicaid financial limits; it lists an Environmental Accessibility Adaptations service, but stair lifts are not named and services depend on each person's assessment, with a waitlist possible. Call (801) 538-3910; Davis County residents apply through Davis County Aging & Adult Services.
A state-funded, non-Medicaid program for low-income aging adults who need in-home services to stay in their own home; the program page does not mention stair lifts or home modifications. Call (801) 538-3910, and it is administered locally by Davis County Aging & Adult Services.
VA grants for veterans or service members who own the home and have qualifying service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA (FY2026), usable up to 6 times; the VA mentions ramps and wider doorways but does not name stair lifts. A general VA line is (800) 698-2411, though it is not listed on the grant page itself.
Older adults
22 South State, Clearfield, 84015
Veterans
550 Foothill Drive, Suite 105, Salt Lake City, 84113
Usually, yes. Split-levels often have short flights between levels, and each straight flight can take its own straight lift. If a flight turns, a curved lift is made to fit it.
The Medicaid Aging Waiver is for people age 65+. The Alternatives Program serves low-income aging adults and is typically aimed at people 60+. Davis County Senior Services at (801) 525-5000 can tell you which programs to apply for.
Outdoor stair lifts are built for weather and can serve steps from the driveway to the door. With up to 90 inches of snow a year in higher areas, it is worth planning for the outside steps along with the indoor ones.
The SAH and SHA grants cover accessibility changes for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, but the VA page does not name stair lifts. Call the Utah Department of Veterans & Military Affairs, Northern Utah Region, at (801) 326-2372 to ask about your case.
Davis County Senior Services is at 22 South State, Clearfield, 84015. The phone number is (801) 525-5000.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
