Yakima County runs from the Cascade Mountains and 12,281-ft Mount Adams in the west down to the farm plains of the Yakima Valley. In between sit 24 communities, from in-town neighborhoods in Yakima, Sunnyside and Toppenish to small places like Tieton, Cowiche, Nile and Eschbach. The homes vary just as much, and that shapes what kind of stair lift makes sense.
Many houses here are older farmhouses and ranch-style homes built decades ago without step-free entries or main-floor bathrooms. When the stairs to the bedroom, the basement or the front porch start to feel risky, a lift is often simpler than moving. This page walks through the home styles we see in the county, the weather issues, and the programs that may help pay.
The 2020 census counted 90,504 housing units in the county, with 62.5% owner-occupied. That mix includes single-family homes, townhouses, walk-up apartments, split-level homes and ranch-style homes. Each one asks a different question of the installer.
A two-story single-family home or townhouse with one straight flight is usually the easiest case, and a straight lift fits most of them. Split-level homes often have short runs with turns or landings, which can call for a curved rail or two separate straight lifts. Ranch-style homes and farmhouses on raised foundations may have few interior stairs but several steps at the entry or down to a basement.
Walk-up apartments are a separate conversation. Shared stairways usually need the building owner's approval, so it helps to ask before scheduling a measurement.
Weather in the county changes fast because of the surrounding mountains. Ice and snow in winter and heat in summer make porch and entry steps harder for older residents, especially on rural properties in the valley.
For those steps, an outdoor-rated stair lift built to handle the elements is the usual answer. Where a wheelchair user needs to get from the yard to the door, a vertical platform lift may fit better than a chair. We look at the slope, the landing space and how the steps drain before recommending either.
About 13.9% of Yakima County residents are 65 or older, and many of them live in smaller valley towns rather than in the city of Yakima.
Veterans and their families can start with the Yakima County Veterans Program at 128 N 2nd Street, County Courthouse, Room 103, in Yakima, phone (509) 574-1537. Keep in mind that the VA HISA grant excludes stair glides, so other funding is often needed for the lift itself.
Only one program listed below names stair lifts outright: the Northwest Access Fund home modification loan, which offers up to $60,000 over a term of up to 10 years. The others cover home repairs, accessibility work or medical equipment without naming stair lifts, so call and ask how they treat a lift before counting on them.
Where you live matters. Homeowners inside Yakima city limits use the City of Yakima Single-Family Emergency Repair Program, while Grandview, Harrah, Mabton, Sunnyside, Toppenish, Union Gap, Wapato, Zillah and unincorporated areas use the Yakima County Homeowner Rehabilitation Program.
For general aging and caregiver questions, ALTC Southeast Washington has an office at 3311 W. Clearwater Ave., Suite D-100, Kennewick, 99336, phone (509) 735-0315.
Supports unpaid family caregivers of adults 60+ or adults with disabilities with training, support groups, limited transportation and medical equipment; stair lifts are not listed. Call (509) 469-0500.
A Medicaid waiver for people who meet nursing-facility level of care and live at home, funding modifications needed for health, welfare or safety; it names no specific devices, so stair lifts are not listed. Call (855) 567-0252.
For people 55+ who meet nursing-facility level of care, this benefit pays for minor home modifications and repairs, up to $500 per year at Step Two; stair lifts are not listed. Call (855) 567-0252.
Very-low-income rural homeowners can borrow up to $40,000 at 1% fixed interest, and homeowners 62+ may get grants up to $10,000 to remove health and safety hazards; stair lifts are not listed. Check whether your address is in an eligible rural area with USDA's address eligibility tool.
A VA grant with a lifetime cap of $6,800 or $2,000 depending on disability status, covering items such as permanent entrance ramps. It does not cover stair glides, porch lifts or portable ramps.
Grants for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or modify an accessible home, with SAH up to $126,526 and SHA up to $25,350 for FY2026; stair lifts are not listed. The Yakima County Veterans Program at (509) 574-1537 can help with questions.
A Yakima-based nonprofit grant for low-income households, with priority to seniors and people with disabilities, that covers accessibility modifications like ramps and grab bars; stair lifts are not listed. Call (509) 248-6751.
Critical home repairs, including accessibility ramps, for income-qualified homeowners willing to contribute sweat equity; stair lifts are not listed. Call (509) 453-8077.
For owners inside Yakima city limits for at least 1 year with income below 80% of area median and liquid assets under $50,000, covering repairs such as wheelchair ramp installations; stair lifts are not listed. Call (509) 575-6101.
Serves owner-occupants at or below 50% of area median income outside the city of Yakima, and allows accessibility modifications as part of an overall rehab; stair lifts are not named. Call (509) 574-1363.
A nonprofit low-interest loan of up to $60,000 over up to 10 years for Washington residents with disabilities of any type, including age-related limitations, and it lists stair lift installation as covered. Call (206) 328-5116.
Older adults
3311 W. Clearwater Ave., Suite D-100, Kennewick, 99336
Veterans
128 N 2nd Street, County Courthouse, Room 103, Yakima, 98901
Yes. The Northwest Access Fund home modification loan lists installation of stairlifts as an eligible interior modification. The other programs cover repairs or accessibility work without naming stair lifts, so call them to ask.
The VA HISA grant specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. The SAH, SHA and TRA grants fund accessible home modifications but do not name stair lifts, so ask the Yakima County Veterans Program at (509) 574-1537 how they apply to your case.
The MAC and TSOA benefit starts at age 55 for people who meet nursing-facility level of care. The Northwest Access Fund loan is open to people of all ages with disabilities.
Sunnyside is served by the Yakima County Homeowner Rehabilitation Program, which requires income at or below 50% of area median. Call (509) 574-1363. Residents inside Yakima city limits use the city program at (509) 575-6101 instead.
An outdoor-rated lift is built for exposed steps, which matters with the ice, snow and heat common in the county. If a wheelchair is involved, a platform lift may be the better fit, and we can tell after seeing the entry.
Turns and landings usually mean a curved rail, or sometimes two straight lifts on separate runs. The right choice depends on the layout, so we measure in person before recommending one.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
