Cremation and Burial Services Industry (2024)

The average cost of an adult burial with a viewing and funeral in the United States as of 2017 is $7,360. If a vault is also purchased, the average cost increases to $8,755. The average cost of an adult cremation with a viewing and funeral in the United States as of 2017 is $6,260. Of California, New York, Texas, and Florida, New York has the highest average costs at $7,420 without a vault, $8,870 with a vault, and $6,430 for cremation. California has the lowest average costs at $6,626 without a vault, $7,570 with a vault, and $5,610 for cremation. A full accounting of our methodology and findings are below.

Methodology

To find the average cost of burial and cremation in the United States, we turned to the foremost authority on costs: The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) This organization conducts a pricing survey on burial and cremation services every other year and we discovered that the most recent survey was conducted in 2017 on 2016 prices. We continued to look for more recent pricing and found that the NFDA considers the information from 2016 relevant for 2017 as well, which put this data near our 24-month limit. Still, we wanted to make sure no other organization provided more recent information, so we continued searching for market research reports from sources like Research and Markets, IBISWorld, MarketWatch, ReportLinker, and others. However, we discovered that all such reports rely on information from the NFDA survey. Therefore, we concluded that the information contained in the NFDA 2017 General Price List Final Report is the most current data available.

We then turned to determining the average costs. The report provides the median cost of an adult funeral with a viewing and burial and the median cost of an adult funeral with a viewing and cremation. These median costs are based on the "most typical elements" that consumers purchase from funeral homes. These items include the following:

• Nondeclinable Basic Services Fee
• Removal/Transfer of Remains to Funeral Home
• Embalming
• Other Preparation of the Body
• Use of Facilities/Staff for Viewing
• Use of Facilities/Staff for Ceremony at Funeral Home
• Hearse
• Service Car/Van
• Basic Memorial Printed Package
• Metal Casket

The organization also includes median pricing for an optional vault, so we included information for both burials with a vault and without a vault in our analysis as well. The median price was determined at the point where "half of all prices for the item fall below and half are above." While we would have preferred to provide the mean of pricing rather than the median, this was the only method for calculation provided. Therefore, we also used the median in our analysis as well, except for the additional costs associated with burial that we provided as extra information. Note that embalming is not required for cremation, but the NFDA asserts that most people who choose cremation also choose to have a viewing, for which embalming is necessary. Therefore, it is included in our average costs, just as the NFDA has also done.

Having found the national average costs of burial and cremation, we turned our attention to the average costs in California, New York, Texas, and Florida. The NFDA provided analysis of average costs for census districts, and each requested state belonged to a different region, but we wanted to ensure we couldn't find actual averages for each state before using the regional data. We repeated our searches through market research studies and there appears to be some data available behind a paywall on the Research and Markets report, but we are not able to access this information.

We then continued our search for per-state averages by examining industry and media articles that discussed the costs associated with burial and cremation. Examples of sources we searched include SmartAsset, OCRegister, GoFundMe, Parting.com, and EverDear, among others. Unfortunately, every article we could find either quoted the NDFA regional data or was deemed unreliable because they appeared on funeral home websites that were attempting to sell their services.

Finally, we turned to the Federal Trade Commission, which provides U.S. consumers with an informational series on Shopping for Funeral Services. It was our hope that the FTC would provide average costs per state so consumers would be protected from overpaying. Unfortunately, only an overall range of costs for caskets was given, along with tips on how to save money when shopping for various funeral services and products. Therefore, we concluded that the best way to illustrate the differences in costs among California, New York, Texas, and Florida was to use the census district analysis provided in the NFDA General Price List Final Report. It is our assumption that burial and cremation prices do not vary much between the states in a given district, which is why the NFDA chose to present the data in this manner.

Since the NFDA report does not include information on services other than those listed above, we attempted to find average costs of the remaining services and products related specifically to burial. We found multiple funeral home articles that provided pricing ranges and averages, but none offered the source of their data. Media articles also provided cost ranges, but usually only for the items already identified.

After much searching, we obtained an article from Lincoln Heritage Funeral Advantage that provided ranges of costs for flowers, wreaths, funeral plots, headstones, and the opening and closing of the plot. Although we typically do not use information from entities attempting to sell their services, this company used the NFDA data for the average cost of an adult funeral with a viewing and burial, so we assumed it used data from other reliable sources to provide a range of costs for the other services and products as well. To calculate the average prices for these services and costs, we added the high range and the low range together, then divided by two (all calculations appear after the triangulated amounts).

Finally, because we were uncertain if the average costs based on the most commonly purchased products and services were actually the desired average, we used the NFDA data to provide average costs of immediate burial and direct cremation to show the most basic cost comparison available. We did not, however, provide these numbers as the direct answer because it appears that the majority of sources use the median costs of the most commonly purchased products and services as the average cost of burial and cremation in the United States.

To find the percentage growth and CAGR of costs over specific time spans we used a percentage calculator and a CAGR calculator to prevent errors.

Note that the total costs for the Unted States and each census district are taken directly from the NFDA report and they may be off by $1.00 due to rounding errors.

Average Burial Costs (United States)

According to the National Funeral Directors Association, in 2017, the median cost for an adult funeral with a viewing and burial was $7,360. If a vault is added, the average cost increased to $8,755. The following average costs are associated with burial in the United States:

• Basic Services Fee: $2,100 

• Removal or Transfer of Remains to Funeral Home: $325 

• Embalming: $725 

• Other Body Preparation: $250 

• Viewing Facility Usage: $425 

• Funeral Ceremony Facility Usage: $500 

• Hearse: $325 

• Service Car: $150 

• Printed Memorial: $160 

• Metal Casket: $2,400 

• Total: $7,360 

• Vault: $1,395 

• Total with Vault: $8,755 

Average Cremation costs (United States)

According to the National Funeral Directors Association, in 2017, the median cost for an adult funeral with viewing and cremation was $6,260. The following average costs are associated with cremation in the United States:

• Basic Services Fee: $2,100 

• Removal or Transfer of Remains to Funeral Home: $325 

• Embalming: $725 

• Other Body Preparation: $250 

• Viewing Facility Usage: $425 

• Funeral Ceremony Facility Usage: $500 

• Service Car: $150 

• Printed Memorial: $160 

• Cremation Fee: $350 

• Cremation Casket: $1,000 

• Urn: $275 

• Total: $6,260 

Average Burial Costs (middle Atlantic Census district, including New York)

• Basic Services Fee: $1,995 

• Removal or Transfer of Remains to Funeral Home: $350 

• Embalming: $778 

• Other Body Preparation: $253 

• Viewing Facility Usage: $495 

• Funeral Ceremony Facility Usage: $500 

• Hearse: $350 

• Service Car: $195 

• Printed Memorial: $150 

• Metal Casket: $2,355 

• Total: $7,420 ($60 more than national average ($7,420 — $7,360))

• Vault: $1,450 

• Total with Vault: $8,870 ($115 more than national average ($8,870 — $8,755))

Average Cremation costs (middle Atlantic census district, including new York)

• Basic Services Fee: $1,995 

• Removal or Transfer of Remains to Funeral Home: $350 

• Embalming: $778 

• Other Body Preparation: $253 

• Viewing Facility Usage: $495 

• Funeral Ceremony Facility Usage: $500 

• Service Car: $195 

• Printed Memorial: $150 

• Cremation Fee: $325 

• Cremation Casket: $1,115 

• Urn: $275 

• Total: $6,430 ($170 more than national average ($6,430 — $6,260))

Average Burial costs (South Atlantic Census District, Including Florida)

• Basic Services Fee: $2,080 

• Removal or Transfer of Remains to Funeral Home: $300 

• Embalming: $700 

• Other Body Preparation: $200 

• Viewing Facility Usage: $400 

• Funeral Ceremony Facility Usage: $475 

• Hearse: $295 

• Service Car: $150 

• Printed Memorial: $125 

• Metal Casket: $2,353 

• Total: $7,078 ($282 less than national average ($7,360 — $7,078))

• Vault: $1,400 

• Total with Vault: $8,477 ($278 less than national average ($8,755 — $8,477))

Average cremation costs (south Atlantic census district, including Florida)

• Basic Services Fee: $2,080 

• Removal or Transfer of Remains to Funeral Home: $300 

• Embalming: $700 

• Other Body Preparation: $200 

• Viewing Facility Usage: $400 

• Funeral Ceremony Facility Usage: $475 

• Service Car: $150 

• Printed Memorial: $125 

• Cremation Fee: $400 

• Cremation Casket: $995 

• Urn: $253 

• Total: $6,077 ($183 less than national average ($6,260 — $6,077))

Average Burial costs (West South Central Census district, including Texas)

• Basic Services Fee: $1,995 

• Removal or Transfer of Remains to Funeral Home: $300 

• Embalming: $725 

• Other Body Preparation: $200 

• Viewing Facility Usage: $320 

• Funeral Ceremony Facility Usage: $525 

• Hearse: $300 

• Service Car: $100 

• Printed Memorial: $136 

• Metal Casket: $2,595 

• Total: $7,196 ($164 less than national average ($7,360 — $7,196))

• Vault: $1,295 

• Total with Vault: $8,491 ($264 less than national average ($8,755 — $8,491))

Average cremation costs (West South Central Census District, Including Texas)

• Basic Services Fee: $1,995 

• Removal or Transfer of Remains to Funeral Home: $300 

• Embalming: $725 

• Other Body Preparation: $200 

• Viewing Facility Usage: $320 

• Funeral Ceremony Facility Usage: $525 

• Service Car: $100 

• Printed Memorial: $136 

• Cremation Fee: $375 

• Cremation Casket: $995 

• Urn: $250 

• Total: $5,921 ($339 less than national average ($6,260 — $5,921))

Average burial costs (Pacific Census District, Including California)

• Basic Services Fee: $1,695 

• Removal or Transfer of Remains to Funeral Home: $350 

• Embalming: $525 

• Other Body Preparation: $245 

• Viewing Facility Usage: $290 

• Funeral Ceremony Facility Usage: $648 

• Hearse: $348 

• Service Car: $150 

• Printed Memorial: $175 

• Metal Casket: $2,200 

• Total: $6,626 ($734 less than national average ($7,360 — $6,626))

• Vault: $945 

• Total with Vault: $7,570 ($1,185 less than national average ($8,755 — $7,570))

Average Cremation costs (pacific Census District, including California)

• Basic Services Fee: $1,695 

• Removal or Transfer of Remains to Funeral Home: $350 

• Embalming: $525 

• Other Body Preparation: $245 

• Viewing Facility Usage: $290 

• Funeral Ceremony Facility Usage: $648 

• Service Car: $150 

• Printed Memorial: $175 

• Cremation Fee: $313 

• Cremation Casket: $995 

• Urn: $225 

• Total: $5,610 ($650 less than national average ($6,260 — $5,610))

Burial Averages Comparison (without Vault)

• National: $7,360 
• Middle Atlantic (New York): $7,420 
• South Atlantic (Florida): $7,078 
• West South Central (Texas): $7,196 
• Pacific (California): $6,626 

Burial Averages Comparison (with Vault)

• National: $8,755 
• Middle Atlantic (New York): $8,870 
• South Atlantic (Florida): $8,477 
• West South Central (Texas): $8,491 
• Pacific (California): $7,570 

Cremation averages Comparison

• National: $6,260 
• Middle Atlantic (New York): $6,430 
• South Atlantic (Florida): $6,077 
• West South Central (Texas): $5,921 
• Pacific (California): $5,610 

Immediate burial Averages Comparison (Container provided by funeral Home)

• National: $3,152 
• Middle Atlantic (New York): $3,095 
• South Atlantic (Florida): $3,290 
• West South Central (Texas): $2,968 
• Pacific (California): $2,520 

Direct Cremation averages comparison (Casket provided by funeral home)

• National: $2,700 
• Middle Atlantic (New York): $2,678 
• South Atlantic (Florida): $2,295 
• West South Central (Texas): $2,673 
• Pacific (California): $1,795 

Comparison and analysis

In 2014, the median cost for an adult funeral with a viewing and burial was $7,181 (without a vault). This means there was an increase of just 2.49% in costs over three years. Since 2000, the viewing and burial costs have risen from $5,180 to $7,360 in 2017. This represents a CAGR of 2.09%. Therefore, it is apparent that burial costs in the United States are growing, but only slightly.

In 2014, the median cost for an adult funeral with a viewing and cremation was $6,078. This means there was an increase of just 2.99% in costs over three years. There is no earlier data on cremation costs in the report from the National Funeral Directors Association, but from the data over the three-year period, we can see that cremation costs are growing slightly more than burial costs, but are still relatively flat.

The costs for removal or transfer of remains to the funeral home grew the most over a 10-year period between 2006 and 2016, with a percentage increase of 39.5%. Printed materials have the second highest growth of 34.5%. The costs for the use of viewing facilities has grown the least over that same time frame, at 4.7% and the use of funeral facilities has the second lowest growth of 8.0%.

Based on a market research study conducted by Research and Markets, the death care market in the United States is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4% through 2023. Funeral homes, which account for more than half of the death care market and are responsible for the costs analyzed here, are expected to grow at a 2% CAGR through that same year. This is roughly the same percentage it has grown annually since 2000.

Cremation is expected to continue to outpace burial services as people are beginning to "prefer cremation thanks to better value and more sustainable alternatives." In fact, the National Funeral Directors Association predicts the cremation rate in the United States will reach 80% by 2035. Currently, the cremation rate already outpaces the burial rate at a percentage of 53.5% to 40.5%. However, even as the cremation rate rises, the demand for cemetery space will also continue to grow as people purchase property to have a place to visit their loved ones. Currently, 37.1% of cremated remains are buried at a cemetery, while 1.6% are scattered at a cemetery, 8.6% are "placed in a columbarium," and 19.8% are scattered at non-cemetery locations.

Of the four regions compared here, which encompass California, New York, Texas, and Florida, New York has the highest average costs of $7,420 without a vault, $8,870 with a vault, and $6,430 for cremation. These costs are all slightly above the national average. California has the lowest average costs of $6,626 without a vault, $7,570 with a vault, and $5,610 for cremation.

The region with the highest costs overall, though, is the West North Central Census District, which includes the states of Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. The average cost of a burial and viewing without a vault for this region is $7,815, which is $455 more than the national average. When a vault is added in, the cost increases to $9,295, which is $540 more than the national average. Cremation costs average $6,763 in this region, which is $503 more than the national average. The region with the lowest costs overall is the Pacific region, which has already been compared, as it was used as a proxy for California.

Additional costs associated with burial

The costs provided by the National Funeral Directors Association do not include flowers, wreaths, funeral plot, headstone, or the opening and closing plot fees. If these costs are included, the average burial and funeral cost jumps to $15,110 ($7,360 + $7,750) without a vault or $16,505 ($8,755 + $7,750) with a vault. These numbers are based on the following additional average costs and are added to the $7,360 average without a vault and the $8,755 average with a vault:

• Flowers: $600 ($500 + $700 = $1,200 / 2)

• Wreaths: $150 ($100 + $200 = $300 / 2)

• Funeral Plot: $2,500 ($1,000 + $4,000 = $5,000 / 2)

• Headstone: $3,500 ($2,000 + $5,000 = $7,000 / 2)

• Opening and Closing Plot Fees: $1,000 

• Total: $7,750 ($600 + $150 + $2,500 + $3,500 + $1,000)