Casper sits at 5,120 feet along the North Platte River, with Casper Mountain rising right next to downtown. Parts of the city are built on hills and uneven grades, and the rest of Natrona County stretches out through mountain country, high desert and badlands, from Mills and Evansville to Bar Nunn, Red Butte, Homa Hills and Midwest.
Many of the homes here are split-level houses, single-family homes and duplexes that were built long before anyone planned for aging in place. Add 71.8 inches of average yearly snowfall, and the stairs inside and outside a house can become the hardest part of the day. This page walks through what kind of stair lift fits local homes and where people in the county can look for help paying for one.
Split-level homes are common here, and they often have several short flights instead of one long one. Each short run can take its own straight lift, or a curved rail can follow the turns between levels. We measure every landing before recommending either.
A straight stair lift is the simplest fit for a single, unbroken flight in a single-family home or duplex. If the staircase turns, has a landing partway up, or wraps around a corner, a curved lift built to that exact stair is the usual answer.
Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings bring a different question: who owns the stairs. In shared stairwells, the building owner or landlord has to approve any installation, so it helps to have that conversation before the home visit.
Winters in Natrona County are severe. The record low reached -42°F on December 22, 2022, and the snow that piles up on porch and entry steps makes them risky for anyone with weak knees or poor balance.
For homes with exterior steps, an outdoor stair lift built for weather exposure is one option. Where a wheelchair user needs to get up a few steps, a vertical platform lift can be a better fit than a seat-style lift. On hillside lots around Casper, the grade of the yard matters as much as the steps themselves, so we look at both.
About 16.2% of Natrona County residents are 65 or older, and roughly 72.7% of households own their homes. Owners can make permanent changes like a stair lift without asking anyone's permission, which makes the decision simpler for many families.
If your parent served, it is worth checking veteran benefits before paying out of pocket, since some federal grants are tied to service-connected disabilities.
Casper's economy has long run on oil, coal and uranium, and income across the county can rise and fall with those industries. That is one reason families here often weigh a Medicaid waiver, a VA grant or paying privately side by side.
None of the local and federal sources below name stair lifts directly, so the best move is to call and ask. Statewide options to bring up include the Wyoming Community Choices Waiver (CCW), the Wyoming Home Services Program (WyHS), the Wyoming Technology Access Program (WyTAP), VA Benefits for Veterans (HISA + Prosthetics) and the Wyoming Property Tax Refund Program.
For general aging services, the state Aging Division in Cheyenne is at (307) 777-7986. Veterans can reach the Wyoming Military Department – Natrona, Converse & Niobrara Counties Veteran Service Officers at 5905 CY Ave in Casper, (307) 258-1100.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 (FY2026) for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or modify a permanent home they own. VA examples include ramps and widened doorways, but stair lifts are not listed by name.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 (FY2026) for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities, and the home may be owned by the veteran or a family member. Stair lifts are not named among covered changes.
Helps SAH- or SHA-eligible veterans adapt a family member's home they are temporarily living in, up to $50,961 or $9,100 depending on eligibility (FY2026). Stair lifts are not listed by name.
A Center for Independent Living serving Natrona County residents of any age with disabilities, with services that include help with the Community Choices Waiver and Veteran Directed Care. Home modifications and stair lifts are not mentioned, so call (307) 266-6956 to ask about current funding.
The local aging-services provider for residents 60 and older, with sites in Casper, Evansville and Mills, offering Wyoming Home Services, a Family Caregiver Program and a loan closet. Stair lifts are not named; call (307) 265-4678 and ask a case manager about help or a waiver referral.
A disability rights group that provides advocacy, legal representation and referral, and does not fund home modifications itself. Call (307) 632-3496 if you are denied a waiver or grant you believe you qualify for.
Older adults
6101 Yellowstone Road, Suite 259B, Cheyenne, 82002
Veterans
5905 CY Ave, Casper, 82604
Central Wyoming Senior Services serves residents 60 and older, but the WILR Casper Center works with Wyoming residents of any age who have disabilities. You can reach the Casper Center at (307) 266-6956.
The VA SAH, SHA and TRA grants cover home modifications for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities, but the VA does not name stair lifts in its examples. Ask the Veteran Service Officers in Casper at (307) 258-1100 how your situation fits.
Central Wyoming Senior Services has satellite sites in both Evansville and Mills in addition to the main center in Casper. Call (307) 265-4678 to find the right location.
Outdoor stair lifts are made for exterior steps, and a vertical platform lift is another option where a wheelchair is involved. With 71.8 inches of average annual snow here, we look at where snow collects on your steps during the home visit.
Each short flight can take its own straight lift, or a curved lift can run through the turns if the stairs connect. Measuring the landings tells us which makes more sense.
Wyoming Protection & Advocacy System, Inc. helps people with disabilities access state and federally funded services and can step in after a denial. Their number is (307) 632-3496.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
