Oconto County runs from the Green Bay shoreline west into part of the Nicolet National Forest. The county seat of Oconto grew up as a lumber and fishing town on the bay, and Oconto Falls and Gillett are its other two incorporated cities. Beyond them are places like Lena, Suring, Abrams, Lakewood, Mountain and Sobieski, spread across a lot of forest and lake country.
Many of the older houses in those city cores date to the timber era, when bedrooms usually went upstairs. That is the situation where a stair lift earns its keep: the house still works, but the staircase has become the hard part of the day. This page covers which lift fits which kind of local home and who in the county can help with the cost.
In Oconto, Oconto Falls and Gillett, a lot of the housing is single-family and detached, often with one full staircase to the second floor. If that staircase runs straight from bottom to top with no turn, a straight stair lift is usually the simplest fit. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall, so old plaster is rarely a problem.
Older staircases can be narrow or steep. We measure the width, the pitch and the space at the top and bottom landings before recommending anything, because a folding rail or a swivel seat can make a tight landing workable.
Split-level homes are common in the county, and they bring short flights between several levels. Sometimes one short straight lift handles the trip that matters most, such as the run up to the bedrooms. Other times the stairs turn at a landing, and that calls for a curved rail built to the exact shape of the staircase.
Curved rails are custom made, so they take longer to arrive than straight ones. If a family member is coming home from the hospital soon, tell us early so we can plan around that.
Away from the three cities, homes sit on rural lots and lakeshores, and some have their own steps up to the front door or down to a walkout. An outdoor stair lift is built for weather and can handle those exterior steps. For someone who uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift is the option to talk through instead.
Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings are a different case. The stairs are shared, so the building owner has to approve any installation before we can measure or quote it.
About 22.8% of Oconto County residents are 65 or older, and 66.5% of households own their home. Owning the house matters, since most of the funding programs below are aimed at homeowners making changes to a home they live in.
The county covers about 1,149 square miles, and the 2020 census counted 39.1 people per square mile. Help is spread out, so it pays to make a few phone calls before the first home visit rather than after.
None of the sources behind this page name stair lifts as a covered item, so no program here is a sure thing. What they do offer is a path: assessments, long-term care budgets, low-cost loans and veteran grants that may apply to home modifications on a case-by-case basis.
A good first call is the ADRC of the Wolf River Region at (855) 492-2372, which screens people for Family Care and IRIS. Residents 55 and older who are falling or having trouble getting around can also ask Oconto County Public Health about its falls program at (920) 834-7000.
A Medicaid long-term care program where adults who meet a nursing-home level of care and Medicaid financial rules self-direct an individual budget. The source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications, so ask an ADRC or IRIS consultant at (855) 492-2372 what your budget can cover.
Wisconsin's managed long-term care Medicaid benefit, delivered through a care plan for older adults and people with disabilities who pass a functional screen and meet Medicaid financial rules. The source does not mention stair lifts or home modifications; call (855) 492-2372 to start the screen.
The aging and disability resource center serving Oconto, Shawano and Menominee Counties and the Stockbridge-Munsee Community, offering free benefits counseling and the screening for Family Care and IRIS. It does not give grants and does not mention stair lifts; call (855) 492-2372.
Oconto County Public Health does an in-home assessment and helps obtain and install fall prevention equipment for county residents 55 and older who have mobility issues or are falling often. Specific devices are decided case by case and stair lifts are not mentioned; call (920) 834-7000.
The local office that helps veterans and their families apply for federal and Wisconsin benefits. Its page does not mention stair lifts or housing adaptation grants by name, but it is the place to start; call (920) 834-6817.
Federal grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities who own or will own the home, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026. The VA names ramps and wider doorways as examples but does not name stair lifts; call (800) 827-1000.
Low-interest repair loans for very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas, with grants for owners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan and need to fix health and safety hazards. Stair lifts are not named and rural eligibility depends on the address; call (800) 414-1226.
A Green Bay nonprofit offering no-interest, deferred-payment loans to eligible homeowners with disabilities for accessibility changes and repairs, and Oconto County is in its 17-county service area. Stair lifts are not named; call (920) 490-0500.
Low-interest loans for Wisconsin residents with disabilities to buy assistive technology and equipment that helps them stay independent. Stair lifts are not named on the source, so confirm with the program at (920) 490-0500.
Free loans of donated equipment such as wheelchairs and walkers for people with disabilities who lack insurance or other resources. Stair lifts are not among the items named; call (920) 490-0500 to ask what is available.
Older adults
501 Park Ave., Oconto, 54153
Veterans
301 Washington Street, Oconto, 54153
Most single straight staircases in older detached homes can take a straight stair lift, since the rail mounts to the treads. Narrow stairs or a tight landing can change the choice, which is why we measure first.
Yes. The Oconto County Senior Falls Reduction & Prevention Program serves county residents 55 and older with mobility issues or frequent falls. Public Health does a home assessment and helps with fall prevention equipment; call (920) 834-7000 and ask what fits your home.
The sources we reviewed do not list stair lifts for either program. Both use an individual plan or budget, so the answer depends on the person. The ADRC of the Wolf River Region at (855) 492-2372 handles the screening and can tell you.
The Oconto County ADRC is at 501 Park Ave., Oconto, WI 54153, phone (920) 834-7000.
Possibly. The USDA Section 504 program serves eligible rural areas, and its grants are for very-low-income homeowners 62 and older. Rural eligibility is confirmed by address, so call (800) 414-1226 before counting on it.
Yes, outdoor stair lifts are built for exterior steps and weather. If the person uses a wheelchair and cannot move to a seat, a platform lift is the better fit to discuss.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
