From White Salmon and Bingen near the river to Goldendale, Trout Lake and the Cascade foothills near Mount Adams, Klickitat County is built on hills and canyons along the Columbia River Gorge. Many homes here sit on sloped lots. The main living level is often above grade with an entry stairway, or a stairway connects a daylight-basement garage to the main floor.
Those layouts work fine until climbing them gets hard. This page walks through how the common home styles in Lyle, Dallesport, Wishram, Klickitat, Glenwood and the rest of the county match up with different stair lifts, and which state, federal and county programs may help pay for one.
A stairway from a daylight-basement garage up to the main floor is often a single straight run. That is usually the simplest case, since a straight rail mounts to the stair treads and the main floor stays unchanged.
Split-level homes are different. They tend to have short flights between levels, sometimes with a turn or landing, which can call for a curved rail or a separate lift on each flight. We measure every flight before suggesting one approach over another.
When the main living level sits above grade, the hardest stairs may be the ones outside the front door. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather and can run along an exterior entry stairway.
Manufactured homes in the county often have steps up to the door as well. Depending on the space and whether a wheelchair is involved, an outdoor stair lift or a platform lift may fit better. Duplexes and low-rise buildings can bring shared stairways into the picture, so it helps to check with the owner or other residents first.
The county covers 1,871 square miles with about 12.1 people per square mile, and 79.7% of residents are classified as rural. Goldendale, White Salmon, Bingen, Lyle and Trout Lake are separated by real driving distance.
That distance lengthens travel time to contractors, medical providers and equipment installers. It pays to get measurements, funding questions and paperwork sorted early, so the install can happen in as few trips as possible.
Many of these households are in the same sloped-lot homes described above.
With a median household income of $59,583, plenty of families here look to grants, waivers and benefits rather than paying the full cost themselves. That is normal, and it is worth checking several programs at once.
Two state programs list home modifications as a covered category: the WA Cares Fund and the COPES / Community First Choice waiver through DSHS. Neither source names stair lifts specifically, so confirm with the program or a case manager before you commit.
Rural repair programs like the Home Rehabilitation Grant Program and USDA Section 504 focus on repairs and hazards and do not mention stair lifts. For veterans, note that the VA HISA grant explicitly excludes stair glides. Klickitat County Senior Services and the County Veteran Service Officer are good first calls to sort out which program fits.
A state long-term care benefit with a lifetime amount of $36,500 (2026) for workers who meet contribution and care-needs requirements; it lists home modifications and home safety evaluations as covered services, though it does not name stair lifts. Call (844) 227-3492.
A Medicaid waiver for eligible adults with a medical or disabling condition that includes a home modification category; its examples are ramps, grab bars and widened doorways, so confirm a stair lift case by case with your case manager. Call (866) 214-9899.
A state grant for low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas that funds major repairs and improvements related to households experiencing disabilities, but does not name stair lifts. The Klickitat County contact is (509) 865-7630.
Offers loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest for up to 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners age 62 or older; the source does not name stair lifts or accessibility work. Call (360) 704-7777.
A VA grant for veterans with a qualifying disability, with a lifetime maximum of $6,800 or $2,000 depending on the disability. Stair glides and porch lifts are explicitly excluded, so it will not pay for a stair lift.
VA grants for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or change a home for accessibility, up to $126,526 for SAH or $25,350 for SHA on a permanent home. The source does not name stair lifts as a covered item.
The regional aging agency serving Klickitat and four other counties, offering in-home assistance, caregiver support and Medicare counseling; it does not list a stair lift program, but you can ask about COPES referrals. Call (509) 493-3068.
The county aging department, led by Director Sharon Carter, runs Family Caregiver Support, Nutrition Programs, Medicaid Case Management and the Mount Adams Transportation Service (MATS); it has no stair lift program, but case managers can refer you to COPES or HRGP. Call (509) 773-3757.
A county fund for veterans and dependents living in Klickitat County, applied for through Veteran Service Officer Michael Watts; the county page does not list home modifications, so ask directly whether a stair lift qualifies. Call (509) 773-2467.
Older adults
1338 Commerce Avenue, Suite 309, Longview, 98632
Veterans
205 S Columbus Ave, Room 203, Goldendale, 98620
WA Cares lists home modifications as a covered service, but its page does not name stair lifts. Call (844) 227-3492 to confirm before you schedule an install.
USDA Section 504 offers grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners age 62 or older who cannot repay a loan, in eligible rural areas like Klickitat County. Grant funds must go toward removing health and safety hazards, and the source does not mention stair lifts, so call (360) 704-7777 to ask.
No. The VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts from HISA. A veteran can still ask Klickitat County Veteran Service Officer Michael Watts at (509) 773-2467 about the county Veterans Assistance Fund.
In many Gorge-area homes that garage stairway is one straight flight, which usually suits a straight-rail lift. If it turns or has a landing, a curved rail may be needed, so we measure it on site.
Klickitat County Senior Services at (509) 773-3757 can connect you with Medicaid case management and referrals to COPES or HRGP. Veterans can visit the County Veteran Service Officer at 205 S Columbus Ave, Room 203, Goldendale.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
