New Kent County has no incorporated towns. Homes are spread across unincorporated communities such as Quinton, Providence Forge, and Barhamsville, between the Pamunkey River to the northeast and the Chickahominy River to the southwest. Newer two-story houses near the Colonial Downs/I-64 corridor sit alongside older rural farmhouses in the more remote parts of the county.
About 88.8% of homes here are owner-occupied, per 2020 Census data, and many of those houses have been held for years. If a parent's bedroom is upstairs, or the laundry is down a short flight in a split-level, a stair lift can keep the whole house usable. This page covers which lift suits which kind of home and where to look for help paying for it.
Most housing in the county is single-family and detached, which keeps things simpler than in apartments or condos. You own the staircase, so you decide what goes on it.
Two-story homes built near the Colonial Downs/I-64 corridor often have one straight run of stairs. A straight rail is usually the quickest install and the least costly type of lift.
Older farmhouses are a different story. Staircases with a landing, a turn, or narrow treads usually call for a curved rail built to the exact shape of the stairs, so we measure on site before quoting.
A split-level house has short flights between floors. That sounds easy, but a person may face two or three separate sets of steps in a day, so we look at every flight, not just the main one.
Ranch-style homes are mostly on one floor, yet many have a few steps at the entry or a staircase to a basement. An outdoor lift or a short platform lift at the door can matter more than anything inside.
The land here is rolling hills, wooded or in agriculture, cut by drainages that slope toward the east and south. Homes on a grade often have porch or deck steps where an outdoor-rated lift or a platform lift makes sense.
The 2020 Census counted 100.0% of residents as living in rural areas. Service providers and aging-agency staff have to cover a lot of ground across about 222 square miles, so it helps to start calls about assessments and funding early.
About 19.2% of county residents were 65 or older in the 2020 Census, and the median age of about 42.9 years is higher than state and national medians. Many of the calls we get come from adult children helping a parent stay in a long-held family home.
Median household income is about $123,314, so many families choose to pay privately. Others, especially lower-income or disabled residents, look for funded home-modification programs, covered below.
Two programs on our list name stair lifts or home modifications directly: the CCC Plus Medicaid Waiver and the VA HISA grant. USDA Section 504 funds accessibility installations in eligible rural areas, though its guide does not name stair lifts, so ask before you apply.
Statewide, Virginia residents can also ask about the Virginia Livable Home Tax Credit (LHTC) and the Assistive Technology Loan Fund Authority (ATLFA). For local guidance, Senior Connections - Capital Area AAA (PSA 15) is at 24 E. Cary Street, Richmond, 23219, (804) 343-3000.
Veterans can get help from the Williamsburg Benefits Office, Virginia Department of Veterans Services, at 203 Ironbound Road, Dillard Complex, Williamsburg, 23188. The phone is (757) 209-0370.
A statewide Medicaid waiver that includes Home Modifications (environmental modifications) as a covered benefit, and stair lifts fall under that category. Applicants must meet a nursing-facility level of care, with 2026 limits of $2,982 monthly income and under $2,000 in countable assets for a single person; call (844) 374-9159.
A private nonprofit that serves as a primary resource for seniors and caregivers; the reviewed source does not list stair lifts or a home-modification grant. Contact the Span Center directly (spancenter.org) for current services and referrals to programs like CCC Plus or USDA 504.
Offers 1% loans up to $40,000 and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older in eligible rural areas, for health and safety repairs and accessibility installations such as ramps and grab bars; stair lifts are not named in the source. Call (804) 287-1500 to confirm eligibility.
Pays for medically necessary home changes for veterans and service members, and stair lifts are named as a covered item. The lifetime maximum is $6,800 for a service-connected disability or $2,000 for a non-service-connected disability; call (888) 258-0652.
Larger grants for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026; the VA page gives ramps and wider doorways as examples and does not mention stair lifts. Call (877) 222-8387.
Provides advocacy, peer support, and information and referral for people with disabilities in New Kent County and nearby localities; it does not provide financial assistance and stair lifts are not listed. Call (804) 353-5606 for help finding funding sources.
Older adults
24 E. Cary Street, Richmond, 23219
Veterans
203 Ironbound Road, Dillard Complex, Williamsburg, 23188
Through the CCC Plus Medicaid Waiver, Home Modifications is a covered benefit, and stair lifts fall under that category. You must be Medicaid-eligible and meet a nursing-facility level of care. Call (844) 374-9159 to start.
Yes. The VA HISA grant names stair lifts as a covered item, with a lifetime maximum of $6,800 for service-connected disabilities and $2,000 for non-service-connected disabilities. A VA-approved physician's prescription is required, and it applies to owned or rented homes.
The county is recorded as 100% rural in the 2020 Census, which suggests it likely qualifies, but eligibility should be confirmed with USDA Rural Development. Grants of up to $10,000 are for homeowners 62 or older. Call (804) 287-1500.
Often, yes, if the person needs to reach more than one level. We look at each flight during a home visit and talk through which ones matter for daily routines.
Yes. Many homes on the county's rolling ground have exterior steps, and an outdoor-rated stair lift or a platform lift can handle those.
Senior Connections - Capital Area AAA (PSA 15) is at (804) 343-3000, and Resources for Independent Living at (804) 353-5606 can refer you to programs. Veterans can call the Williamsburg Benefits Office at (757) 209-0370.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
