Outside Hayward, no community in Sawyer County tops 400 people. Most families live in scattered rural homes, small hamlets like Reserve, New Post and Chief Lake, or along the lakes around Little Round Lake, Winter and Radisson. A lot of those houses grew a piece at a time, and some started as seasonal cabins before becoming year-round homes.
That kind of building history leaves stairs in odd places: a raised entry, a split-level half flight, a second story added years later. This page walks through what those layouts mean for a stair lift and which programs can help Sawyer County households pay for one.
Split-level and ranch-style homes are common here, along with single-family homes, duplexes and some low-rise buildings. A ranch with a basement stair or a split-level with short flights often takes a straight stair lift, which is the simplest rail to fit.
Homes that were expanded or converted from cabins can have turns, landings or uneven runs where two building phases meet. Those stairs usually need a curved rail built to the exact shape of the staircase, so we measure on site before quoting.
Many lake homes in the northwest half of the county, toward Hayward, sit on sloped lots with steps up to the door or down toward the water. An outdoor stair lift is made to handle weather and can run along porch or deck steps.
If the person using it relies on a wheelchair, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat. It carries the chair itself, which helps at raised entries where a ramp would be too long for the lot.
Sawyer County covers about 1,350 square miles, with 14.4 people per square mile, lakes in the northwest, swamps in the southeast and part of the Chequamegon National Forest. Assessments, installs and in-home services take longer to schedule here than in more built-up parts of Wisconsin.
It helps to start early, especially if a funding program needs an assessment first. Have stair measurements, photos of any turns or landings, and the door you use most ready when you call.
The county skews older than the state as a whole, with a median age of 52.7 years. About 55.1% of residents own their homes, which matters because several funding programs, including the USDA repair program, require you to own and live in the house.
The Sawyer County Veteran Services Office in Hayward can help sort out which VA benefits apply, since not every VA grant covers stair lifts.
The clearest public route is the Wisconsin IRIS Medicaid Waiver, which lists stair lifts as a covered home modification. Family Care is the other Medicaid long-term-care option, though its benefit list does not name stair lifts. Both start with the Aging and Disability Resource Center.
For homeowners with very low income, USDA Section 504 loans and grants fund repairs and accessibility work. Veterans should know the VA HISA grant excludes stair glides, so ask the county veterans office about other options. Statewide, you can also ask about the Community Options Program (COP), WisLoan (WisTech Alternative Loan Program) and the WHEDA Home Improvement Loan Program (HILP).
A self-directed Medicaid long-term-care program that lists stair lifts as a covered home modification, for residents 65+ or 18-64 with a qualifying disability who meet nursing facility level of care, with a 2026 monthly income limit of $2,982 and a $2,000 asset limit for a single applicant. Any modification over $1,000 needs an independent assessment; call (888) 515-4747 or enroll through the ADRC.
A Medicaid managed-care program for residents who need nursing facility level of care; its home modification benefit names grab bars, ramps and door widening, but the source does not mention stair lifts. Call (800) 362-3002 or apply through the ADRC of the North.
The county's entry point for IRIS, Family Care and other long-term-care supports, serving residents 60+ and adults 18-59 with disabilities; the source does not list a stair lift benefit of its own. Call (866) 663-3607.
Loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years and grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners 62+ in rural areas, which can go toward accessibility work; the source does not mention stair lifts by name. Confirm your address on the USDA eligibility map.
A VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000 for medically necessary structural changes to a veteran's home. It does not cover stair lifts; the VA explicitly excludes stair glides and porch lifts.
Grants for veterans with severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026, for permanent accessibility modifications. The source does not mention stair lifts by name.
The local office that helps veterans and dependents apply for federal and state benefits, including home improvement support; the source does not list a stair lift benefit. Call (715) 634-2770.
Older adults
15856 E. 5th St., Hayward, 54843
Veterans
16096 US Hwy 63, Hayward, 54843
The IRIS waiver lists stair lifts as a covered home modification if the lift is tied to your long-term-care plan and is cost-effective. Anything over $1,000 needs an independent assessment first. Family Care's benefit list does not name stair lifts.
Both go through the Aging and Disability Resource Center. The Sawyer County ADRC is at 15856 E. 5th St. in Hayward and can be reached at (715) 634-3000, and the ADRC of the North line is (866) 663-3607.
No. HISA specifically excludes stair glides and porch lifts. Call the Sawyer County Veteran Services Office at (715) 634-2770 to talk through other VA options such as SAH or SHA.
Yes. The ADRC serves adults 18-59 with disabilities, and IRIS and Family Care accept people 18-64 with a qualifying disability who meet the level-of-care and financial rules.
USDA Section 504 grants of up to $10,000 are for very-low-income homeowners 62 or older and can be used for accessibility work. Stair lifts are not named, so ask USDA directly, and check your address on their eligibility map.
Yes. An outdoor stair lift can run along porch or deck steps, and a platform lift works for a wheelchair user at a raised entry. We look at the slope and steps on site 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.
