Port Townsend sits on a hilly bluff above Admiralty Inlet, and many of its houses are Victorian-era homes with full interior staircases and steep climbs from the street to the front door. Out past town, homes in Port Hadlock-Irondale, Port Ludlow, Marrowstone, Brinnon and Quilcene bring their own mix of split-levels, ranches and townhouses.
This page walks through what those homes mean for a stair lift, from straight indoor rails to outdoor units on a sloped front walk. It also lists the loans and assistance programs that Jefferson County residents can call about, with phone numbers where we have them.
Port Townsend is the county seat and the only incorporated city, and a large share of its housing dates back long before any modern accessibility standard. That usually means a full staircase inside and a real grade change outside.
A straight staircase with no turns can take a straight rail stair lift, which is the simplest install. If the stairs turn or stop at a landing, a curved rail is built to follow that exact path.
The outside matters just as much here. When the walk from the street climbs steeply to the porch, an outdoor stair lift on the exterior steps can be what lets someone come and go on their own.
Housing in Jefferson County also includes single-family homes, townhouses, walk-up apartments, split-level homes and ranch-style homes. Each one asks a different question.
A split-level often has two or three short runs of stairs between floors, and each run can be looked at on its own. Ranch-style homes may have everything on one floor but still have steps at the entry or down to a basement. Townhouses tend to stack bedrooms upstairs, which makes the main staircase the one that counts.
Jefferson County covers 2,183 square miles of the Olympic Peninsula, and the mountainous core of Olympic National Park splits it in two. No road runs entirely inside the county between the eastern and western sections, so the trip takes roughly a 100-mile detour through Clallam County.
The eastern county sits in a drier rain shadow, while the western coastal strip is much wetter. For an outdoor stair lift, that difference shapes how much weather the unit will face year round.
Living outside Port Townsend can add travel and mobility challenges for older residents. Making the home itself easier to use, starting with the stairs, helps people stay put.
As of 2023, the county's median age of 60.8 ranked second among all U.S. metro areas, behind only The Villages, Florida. About 39.1 percent of residents are 65 or older.
Roughly 74.8 percent of households own their homes, which matters because owners can install a permanent rail.
The one program in our list that names stair lifts outright is the Northwest Access Fund loan. It is financing you repay, not a grant, with loans up to $60,000 over terms up to 120 months.
For Apple Health enrollees, the COPES waiver covers environmental modifications but does not name stair lifts, so ask before counting on it. Aging & Adult Services of Coastal Washington at (360) 209-8338 is a good first call to learn what is fundable right now.
Veterans can start with Veteran Services in Port Townsend at (360) 385-9384 to talk through the VA grants listed below. Statewide, people also ask about Community First Choice (CFC) and the Senior Citizens & People with Disabilities Property Tax Exemption.
A nonprofit low-interest loan of up to $60,000 for Washington residents of any age with disabilities, including seniors with age-related limitations, and it lists installation of stairlifts as an eligible use. Approval depends on ability to repay; call (206) 328-5116.
A Medicaid in-home waiver service that pays for minor home adaptations needed for health, safety and independence, with no dollar cap listed; stair lifts are not named in the rule. It is handled locally through Aging & Adult Services of Coastal Washington.
The Area Agency on Aging for Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson and Pacific Counties offers free case management and referrals, including a home-safety modification benefit for qualifying Apple Health enrollees that does not name stair lifts. Call (360) 209-8338.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 for FY2026 for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities who own or plan to own the home. The VA names ramps and widened doorways as examples and does not mention stair lifts.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 for FY2026 for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities, and the home may belong to the veteran or a family member. Stair lifts are not named in the VA's description.
For SAH- or SHA-eligible veterans living temporarily in a family member's home, this grant pays up to $50,961 or up to $9,100 for FY2026 toward modifications. Stair lifts are not specifically listed.
Older adults
2500 Lower Elwha Rd., Port Angeles, 98363
Veterans
1820 Jefferson Street, Port Townsend, 98368
In most cases, yes. A straight staircase takes a straight rail, and stairs that turn or have a landing take a curved rail made to fit. Steep outside steps from the street can get an outdoor unit.
The Northwest Access Fund Home Modification Loan lists stairlift installation as an eligible use, with loans up to $60,000 and terms up to 120 months. Call (206) 328-5116 to ask about the current rate and how to apply.
The COPES waiver pays for environmental modifications for eligible enrollees, but the rule does not name stair lifts. Call Aging & Adult Services of Coastal Washington at (360) 209-8338 to ask what can be funded now.
Not for the Northwest Access Fund loan, which serves people of all ages with disabilities of any type. Approval is based on ability to repay.
Call Veteran Services at 1820 Jefferson Street in Port Townsend, (360) 385-9384. They can walk you through the VA SAH, SHA and TRA grants, which cover home adaptations but do not name stair lifts.
The Olympic AAA office is at 2500 Lower Elwha Rd. in Port Angeles, phone (360) 532-0520.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
