From Marion and Chilhowie to Saltville, Sugar Grove and Seven Mile Ford, Smyth County spreads across about 452 square miles of mountain country in southwestern Virginia. Parts of the Jefferson National Forest and the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area sit inside the county, so many homes are reached by winding rural roads with real elevation change.
Most people here live outside town. Per the 2020 Census, 75.6% of residents live in rural areas, and 69.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. That adds up to a lot of older family homes with one interior staircase, which is exactly where a stair lift tends to make more sense than building an elevator.
The county has 15,097 housing units, and the mix runs from single-family homes and detached houses to townhouses, walk-up apartments and split-level homes. Each one asks for something a little different from a stair lift.
A single straight staircase in a two-story house is usually the simplest job, using a straight rail mounted to the stair treads. Townhouses often have a straight flight too, though some turn at a landing, which calls for a curved rail built to the exact shape of the stairs.
Split-level homes are their own case. The short half-flights between levels may each need a separate lift, or a curved rail if they connect. Walk-up apartments add the question of who owns the stairway, so renters should talk with the landlord before anything is installed.
On mountain land, the trouble often starts before the front door. Houses built into a slope can have long runs of exterior steps from the driveway or a raised porch.
An outdoor stair lift is made to handle weather on those steps. Where a wheelchair user needs to get up a short rise, a platform lift may fit better than a seat. We look at the slope, the step count and how the person actually gets in and out of the house before recommending either one.
Because roads out toward places like McMullin, Allison Gap or Adwolf can be long and winding, travel time to outlying homes runs longer than in town. It helps to plan the measurement visit and the install with that in mind.
About 23.5% of Smyth County residents are 65 or older, and 25.1% of working-age residents are between 55 and 64. Many families are thinking about how a parent can keep using the whole house, not just the ground floor.
That matters because one of the state grants below has a track set aside for veterans and service members with a service-connected disability.
Median household income in the county is $49,883, so cost is a fair first question. Two programs say outright that they fund chairlifts: the Virginia Housing Accessibility and Rehabilitation Grants, which pay up to $10,000 per household with no repayment, and the Appalachian Independence Center, which helps people apply for those grants.
Other sources, like the CCC Plus Medicaid Waiver, the Virginia Livable Home Tax Credit, the District Three Governmental Cooperative repair services and the ATLFA loan fund, do not name stair lifts on their pages. They may still help, but you will need to ask directly. The VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides.
A good first call for an older adult is the District Three Governmental Cooperative office at 4453 Lee Highway in Marion, (276) 783-8157. Veterans can also reach the Virginia Department of Veterans Services - Abingdon Office at 202 Abingdon Place, Abingdon, (276) 525-6559.
A state housing grant of up to $10,000 per household that does not have to be repaid, and its source lists installing ramps and chairlifts among funded modifications. There are tracks for veterans and service members with a service-connected disability (income up to 80% AMI), homeowners and renters (income up to 60% AMI); apply through an accepted local agent or call (877) 843-2123.
A nonprofit Center for Independent Living with offices in Abingdon, Wytheville and Galax that helps with ramps, bathrooms, chairlifts and doorways and acts as an approved agent for the Virginia Housing Accessibility Grants. Its published pages do not list Smyth County by name, so call (276) 628-2979 to confirm they serve your address.
A Medicaid home and community-based waiver that covers environmental modifications such as grab bars, ramps and widened doorways; stair lifts are not named, so coverage would need case-by-case confirmation with your care manager. Eligibility includes income up to $2,982 a month, assets up to $2,000 single or $4,000 couple, and a nursing-facility level of care need; call (844) 374-9159.
A federal grant for veterans with a qualifying disability and a VA physician's prescription, worth $6,800 lifetime for a service-connected disability (or 50%+ combined rating) or $2,000 for a non-service-connected disability. It does not cover stair lifts: the program excludes porch lifts and stair glides.
A state tax credit for 50% of an accessibility retrofit cost up to $6,500, with unused credit carried forward up to 7 years, for features that become a permanent part of the home. The source does not list stair lifts as a qualifying feature, so confirm with the state at (804) 371-7000 before counting on it.
The local Area Agency on Aging, serving Smyth and neighboring counties, offers chore and residential repair services on a sliding fee scale to help eligible older adults live safely at home. Stair lifts are not named, so ask the In-Home Services Director at (276) 783-8157 whether stair-related work qualifies.
A state fund offering below-market-rate loans with no down payment for disability-related equipment, open to Virginians with a disability or their caregivers. Stair lifts are not named on its page, so call (866) 835-5976 to ask.
Older adults
4453 Lee Highway, Marion, 24354
Veterans
202 Abingdon Place, Abingdon, 24211
Yes. The Virginia Housing Accessibility and Rehabilitation Grants list chairlifts among funded modifications, up to $10,000 per household. The Appalachian Independence Center helps people apply and also names chairlifts in its services.
No. The HISA grant excludes porch lifts and stair glides. Veterans may still qualify for the Granting Freedom track of the Virginia Housing Accessibility and Rehabilitation Grants if they have a service-connected disability and income at or below 80% AMI.
The District Three care-management track generally serves people 60 and older. The state accessibility grants and the ATLFA loan fund are based on disability and income rather than age.
The District Three Governmental Cooperative is at 4453 Lee Highway in Marion. You can reach them at (276) 783-8157.
Often, yes. Outdoor stair lifts are built for exterior steps, and a platform lift can be a better fit for wheelchair users on a short rise. A home visit is the way to measure the steps and decide.
It can. Each short flight between levels may need its own straight rail, or a single curved rail if the flights connect, depending on the layout.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
