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Average Funeral Cost in 2026, With the Cemetery Included
In 2026, a traditional funeral with burial costs $15,250 to $17,200 in a typical case, depending on the state, once the cemetery plot, opening and closing the grave, the vault and the headstone are counted. The funeral home’s share of that is about $8,200, close to the National Funeral Directors Association median of $8,300. A cremation with a service costs $8,500 to $10,300, and a direct cremation costs $2,550 to $3,300. These figures come from the Memorial Merits Funeral Cost Calculator, in 2026 prices for all 50 states and DC.
- How much do cemetery costs add to a funeral?The burial plot, opening and closing the grave, the vault and the headstone add $5,000 or more to a burial.
- Is $10,000 enough for a funeral?$10,000 covers a direct cremation and a cremation with a memorial service in every state, and a cremation with a viewing and service in 45 of 51 jurisdictions. It does not cover the typical all-in cost of a burial in any state.
- Does a funeral home have to give you a price list?Yes. Under the FTC Funeral Rule, every funeral home must give you an itemized price list and must accept a casket you buy somewhere else, with no extra fee.
- Do veterans pay for burial in a national cemetery?No. Eligible veterans can be buried in a VA national cemetery with no charge for the gravesite, opening and closing the grave, or a government headstone.
- How much have funeral prices gone up?Funeral prices rose 17.1 percent from their 2023 average to August 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Answer up to 7 short questions, which takes about a minute. You get a price range for your state, every line of the itemized price list the funeral home must give you, a check on a funeral home’s quote, ways to lower and pay each cost, a day-by-day checklist, and a worksheet you can print, save as a PDF or share with your family.
You chose burial. The biggest saving on your estimate is buying the casket somewhere other than the funeral home.
The funeral home must accept a casket you buy somewhere else, and it cannot charge you a fee for it. That is federal law under the FTC Funeral Rule. Discount Caskets sells caskets from $995, steel caskets from $1,175, and ships them free to any funeral home in the lower 48 states in two to three business days. After you order online, Discount Caskets calls you to confirm the order and calls the funeral home to set the delivery time. If a casket arrives damaged, refuse the delivery and you get a full replacement or a refund. The code MEMORIAL50 takes $50 off any casket at checkout, with no minimum order.
1 Open Discount Caskets and pick a casket.
2 Enter MEMORIAL50 as the discount code at checkout.
3 Enter the funeral home’s address as the delivery address.
4 Answer the confirmation call. Discount Caskets sets the delivery time with the funeral home.
You chose cremation. If the estimate above is more than you have, this is the first thing to set up, and it costs nothing.
Asking relatives for money to pay for a cremation is hard to do out loud. An Ever Loved memorial page does not ask anyone. It is a memorial page first: the photo, the obituary, the service time and place, an RSVP count, and a livestream link for the people who cannot travel. Donations are a button on that same page, so the link you send tells people when the service is, and each person decides on their own whether to give. There is no application, no approval and no waiting. It costs nothing to make and nothing to keep. A $100 gift arrives in the bank account you link as $96.80; only the card fee is taken. GoFundMe takes the same card fee, asks each donor for a tip on top of it, and gives you no memorial page.
1 Add the name and a photo.
2 Add the service time and place.
3 Turn donations on, or leave them off.
4 Send one link.
Free funeral cost tool
Add This Free Funeral Cost Calculator to Your Website
Your visitors answer 6 quick questions and see the typical cost of a funeral in their state, with a cost breakdown, every line of the price list, a check on a funeral home quote, ways to lower and pay the cost, and a printable price worksheet they can email to themselves.
- Pick a color and copy the code with the button below.
- WordPress: add a Custom HTML block and paste. Squarespace or Wix: add an Embed or Code block and paste.
- Publish. The calculator appears where you pasted the code.
Choose a color:
<div class="mm-funeral-lite">Funeral Cost Calculator by <a href="https://memorialmerits.com/funeral-cost-calculator/">Memorial Merits</a></div>
<script src="https://memorialmerits.com/api/tools/funeral-lite.js" async></script>Free to use. Keep the Memorial Merits link in the code, or the calculator will not run.
How to Use the Funeral Cost Calculator
Video: how to use the Funeral Cost Calculator (1 minute 49 seconds)
Read the video transcript
This is the free Memorial Merits Funeral Cost Calculator. It shows what a funeral costs in your state, with the cemetery costs included.
Choose your situation and your state. Then choose burial or cremation, the type of service, the burial place, the headstone, military service and the number of guests.
Your results show a price range and a typical total. In this Texas example, the range is $13,450 to $18,200, and the typical total is $15,800.
“Itemized list” shows every charge, line by line, including the cemetery plot, opening and closing the grave, the vault and the headstone.
“Next steps” is a checklist you can tick off. “How to pay” lists the benefits that lower the cost, including VA burial benefits for veterans.
In the “Check a quote” step, enter a funeral home’s total. The calculator compares it with the typical range for your answers.
The “Find Funeral Homes” button opens the Memorial Merits directory for your state. Call two or three funeral homes and ask each one for its General Price List.
Print your Funeral Cost Worksheet, get it by email as a PDF, or copy a link to send to your family.
If you run a website, you can add this calculator to your site for free by copying one block of code.
Use the free Funeral Cost Calculator at memorialmerits.com.
- Choose your situation: “A death has happened,” “I am planning my own funeral ahead,” or “I am planning ahead for someone else.” Your results and next steps follow that choice.
- Select the state where the funeral will be held. Prices adjust to the typical costs in that state.
- Choose burial or cremation. Each choice shows the typical all-in range for your state. You can compare both on the results screen.
- Choose the type of service: no service, a simple or memorial service, or a traditional service with a viewing.
- Choose where the burial will be, or where the ashes will go. This sets the cemetery, urn and niche costs.
- Answer the military service question. A yes adds VA burial benefits to your results.
- Choose about how many people will attend. This sets the flowers, printed programs and reception.
- Read your results in 5 steps: “Itemized list,” “Next steps,” “How to pay,” “Check a quote” and “After the service” (“Finish your plan” if you are planning ahead). Tick off the checklist as you go; your ticks are saved on your device.
- Select “Find Funeral Homes in” your state to open the Memorial Merits Funeral Home Directory page for your state, and call two or three homes for their itemized prices.
- Enter each quote in the “Check a quote” step. The calculator compares the funeral home’s charges with the typical range for your answers.
- Save your Funeral Cost Worksheet: select “Print My Funeral Cost Worksheet” to print it or save it as a PDF, enter your email and select “Email My Funeral Cost Worksheet” to get the PDF by email, or select “Copy a Link to My Estimate” to send it to your family.
- Keep the worksheet with you during calls, and take it to every funeral home meeting to compare their itemized price list line by line.
Why Websites Add This Funeral Cost Calculator
The question a funeral, estate planning or senior care website hears most often is what a funeral costs. This calculator answers it on your page, for your visitor’s own state, in about a minute. Your visitor gets a real number and a plan, and stays on your site to get it.
- Free to use. A licensed burial and final expenses calculator from CalcXML starts at $1,490 a year. This one costs nothing.
- 2026 prices for all 50 states and DC. Memorial Merits updates the prices. The code on your page loads the current version each time, so you never have to update it.
- Built on real price data. 21 funeral home price lists from 7 states, National Funeral Directors Association prices adjusted for inflation, cemetery price lists, and the official death certificate fee for every state.
- Results your visitors can use. A cost breakdown, every line of the funeral home price list, a check on a funeral home’s quote, ways to lower and pay the cost, and a printable price worksheet.
- Fits your site. Three colors: burgundy, charcoal and midnight navy. It works on phones and desktops.
- One copy and paste. WordPress, Squarespace, Wix and any page that accepts HTML.
Which Websites This Calculator Is Built For
- Funeral consumer groups and memorial societies that help families compare prices.
- Hospices, home health agencies and senior living communities whose families ask about costs before a death.
- Financial advisors, estate planning attorneys and elder law firms who help clients plan final expenses.
- Churches, grief support groups and community organizations that keep a page of local help.
- Small businesses that serve families after a loss, such as estate sale companies, memorial product sellers, florists and caterers.
- Writers, bloggers and local news sites covering the cost of funerals in their area.
Questions Site Owners Ask Before Adding the Calculator
Is the calculator free? Yes. There is no fee, no account and no sign-up. Copy the code and paste it.
Will it slow down my page? The script loads after your page content, so your page does not wait for it.
Does it put cookies on my site? No. The calculator sets no cookies. A visitor’s email address is collected only if the visitor types it in to have the price worksheet sent to them.
Do my visitors leave my page? No. The calculator runs inside your page. Links in the results open in a new tab, so your page stays open behind them.
How do I keep the prices current? You do nothing. Memorial Merits updates the prices, and every installed calculator shows the update the next time it loads.
Can I choose a color? Yes. Pick burgundy, charcoal or midnight navy in the box above before you copy the code.
How This Funeral Cost Calculator Works
The calculator adds up every charge a family normally pays for the type of funeral chosen, adjusts the locally priced charges to the state, and shows a typical total with a range around it. It covers the funeral home, the cemetery or the urn, and the costs that come from neither, such as death certificates, flowers and a reception.
Where the Prices Come From
- Funeral home service charges: 21 General Price Lists from funeral homes in Texas, Ohio, California, Florida, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Illinois, dated 2025 and 2026, collected by Memorial Merits in September 2026.
- Caskets, vaults, embalming and cremation fees: the National Funeral Directors Association 2023 General Price List Study medians, brought to 2026 dollars with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index for funeral expenses. That index rose 17.1 percent from its 2023 average to August 2026.
- Cemetery charges: price lists from city and private cemeteries in Nebraska, Michigan, Texas and California, covering burial plots, opening and closing the grave, and marker setting.
- Funeral homes by state: the Memorial Merits Funeral Home Directory, which lists funeral homes and typical funeral costs for all 50 states and DC. The “Find Funeral Homes” button on your results opens the directory page for your state.
- Death certificates: the fee for the first copy and each additional copy in all 50 states and DC, from the CDC Where to Write for Vital Records pages. The estimate includes 10 certified copies.
- State adjustment: each state carries a cost multiplier based on regional NFDA price data. It applies to charges set locally, such as funeral home services, the cemetery plot and flowers. It does not apply to items shipped at a national price, such as a casket bought online.
What the Estimate Includes
For a burial, the estimate includes funeral home services, embalming when there is a viewing, the casket, the vault or grave liner, the burial plot, opening and closing the grave, a headstone or marker, 10 death certificates, the obituary, officiant and printed programs, flowers and a reception. For a cremation, it includes funeral home services, the cremation fee, a rental casket when there is a viewing, the urn and where the ashes will go, death certificates, and the service costs. A direct cremation or direct burial includes no service, flowers or reception.
How the Range Works
The calculator shows a typical total and an estimated range from 15 percent below to 15 percent above it, rounded to the nearest $50. Use the range as a starting point for comparing local quotes. Your final cost depends on the funeral home, the cemetery and the choices you make, and a real quote can fall outside the range.
When the person served in the military or a spouse or child qualifies for Social Security, the results show a second line with the benefits taken off the total.
When the Data Was Last Updated
Prices were last updated in September 2026. Memorial Merits reviews the price data every three months and updates the calculator when prices change.
Is $10,000 Enough for a Funeral?
$10,000 is enough for a cremation in every state and for a cremation with a viewing and service in 45 of 51. It is not enough for the typical all-in cost of any burial in any state, because the cemetery plot, opening and closing the grave, the vault and the headstone add $5,000 or more on top of the funeral home bill. $5,000 covers a direct cremation everywhere. $20,000 covers the typical cost of every type of funeral in every state when the plot is in a city, county or church cemetery; a plot in a private memorial park can push a traditional burial past $20,000.
| Type of funeral | Typical 2026 cost, middle state | Range across 50 states and DC | Covered by $5,000? | Covered by $10,000? | Covered by $20,000? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional funeral with viewing and burial | $16,100 | $15,250 to $17,200 | No | No | Yes, all 51 |
| Graveside or simple service with burial | $14,550 | $13,800 to $15,500 | No | No | Yes, all 51 |
| Direct burial, no service | $12,150 | $11,550 to $12,900 | No | No | Yes, all 51 |
| Green burial with a simple service | $11,200 | $10,450 to $12,250 | No | No | Yes, all 51 |
| Cremation with viewing and service | $9,100 | $8,500 to $10,300 | No | 45 of 51 | Yes, all 51 |
| Cremation with a memorial service | $6,350 | $5,900 to $7,200 | No | Yes, all 51 | Yes, all 51 |
| Direct cremation, no service | $2,850 | $2,550 to $3,300 | Yes, all 51 | Yes, all 51 | Yes, all 51 |
Source: Memorial Merits Funeral Cost Calculator, September 2026. Typical all-in cost with a city, county or church cemetery plot, a flat marker and 25 to 75 guests where there is a service.
To check a quote or a budget for your own state, use the calculator above and open the “Check a quote” step on the results screen. When you are planning ahead, the same tab checks a budget instead.
How Much Does a Funeral Cost in 2026? Costs by Funeral Type
The type of funeral sets the cost more than the state does. In the middle state, a traditional funeral with viewing and burial costs about $16,100 all in, a graveside or simple service with burial about $14,550, a direct burial about $12,150 and a green burial about $11,200. On the cremation side, a cremation with a viewing and service costs about $9,100, a cremation with a memorial service about $6,350 and a direct cremation about $2,850.
A burial costs more mainly because of the cemetery. In Texas, a traditional funeral with burial comes to about $15,800, and $5,650 of that is the vault, the plot, opening and closing the grave and the marker. A cremation removes most of those charges. For cremation prices by state, see what cremation costs in 2026.
2026 Funeral Cost Index: All-In Funeral Costs for All 50 States and DC
The Memorial Merits Funeral Cost Index shows the typical all-in cost of three common funerals in every state. Each state name opens that state’s funeral costs and funeral home directory.
| State | Traditional funeral with burial | Cremation with viewing and service | Direct cremation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $15,550 | $8,850 | $2,700 |
| Alaska | $15,950 | $9,050 | $2,900 |
| Arizona | $15,400 | $8,650 | $2,700 |
| Arkansas | $15,850 | $8,950 | $2,750 |
| California | $15,900 | $9,050 | $2,850 |
| Colorado | $15,350 | $8,600 | $2,650 |
| Connecticut | $17,200 | $10,300 | $3,300 |
| Delaware | $16,200 | $9,300 | $3,000 |
| District of Columbia | $16,150 | $9,250 | $2,900 |
| Florida | $16,000 | $9,100 | $2,750 |
| Georgia | $16,050 | $9,150 | $2,800 |
| Hawaii | $15,700 | $8,850 | $2,650 |
| Idaho | $15,350 | $8,600 | $2,650 |
| Illinois | $16,300 | $9,100 | $2,800 |
| Indiana | $16,300 | $9,100 | $2,750 |
| Iowa | $16,950 | $9,950 | $3,200 |
| Kansas | $16,950 | $9,950 | $3,200 |
| Kentucky | $15,550 | $8,850 | $2,700 |
| Louisiana | $15,850 | $8,950 | $2,700 |
| Maine | $17,100 | $10,150 | $3,150 |
| Maryland | $16,100 | $9,200 | $2,850 |
| Massachusetts | $17,200 | $10,300 | $3,300 |
| Michigan | $16,450 | $9,250 | $2,900 |
| Minnesota | $16,800 | $9,800 | $3,050 |
| Mississippi | $15,550 | $8,850 | $2,700 |
| Missouri | $16,850 | $9,850 | $3,100 |
| Montana | $15,350 | $8,600 | $2,650 |
| Nebraska | $16,900 | $9,900 | $3,150 |
| Nevada | $15,450 | $8,700 | $2,750 |
| New Hampshire | $17,150 | $10,200 | $3,200 |
| New Jersey | $16,600 | $9,500 | $2,900 |
| New Mexico | $15,250 | $8,500 | $2,550 |
| New York | $16,850 | $9,750 | $3,200 |
| North Carolina | $16,100 | $9,250 | $2,900 |
| North Dakota | $16,850 | $9,850 | $3,100 |
| Ohio | $16,450 | $9,300 | $2,950 |
| Oklahoma | $15,900 | $9,000 | $2,800 |
| Oregon | $15,900 | $9,050 | $2,900 |
| Pennsylvania | $16,750 | $9,650 | $3,100 |
| Rhode Island | $17,200 | $10,250 | $3,300 |
| South Carolina | $16,000 | $9,100 | $2,750 |
| South Dakota | $16,900 | $9,900 | $3,150 |
| Tennessee | $15,650 | $8,950 | $2,800 |
| Texas | $15,800 | $8,900 | $2,700 |
| Utah | $15,300 | $8,600 | $2,600 |
| Vermont | $17,100 | $10,200 | $3,200 |
| Virginia | $16,100 | $9,200 | $2,850 |
| Washington | $15,900 | $9,050 | $2,900 |
| West Virginia | $16,100 | $9,200 | $2,850 |
| Wisconsin | $16,300 | $9,100 | $2,750 |
| Wyoming | $15,400 | $8,650 | $2,700 |
Memorial Merits Funeral Cost Index, September 2026. Typical all-in costs with a city, county or church cemetery plot, a flat marker, 10 death certificates and 25 to 75 guests where there is a service. To cite: Memorial Merits Funeral Cost Index 2026, https://memorialmerits.com/funeral-cost-calculator/.
The highest typical costs are in New England: Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island at about $17,200 for a traditional funeral with burial. The lowest are in the Mountain West, led by New Mexico at about $15,250.
What Is the Most Expensive Part of a Funeral?
For a burial, the most expensive single charge is the funeral home’s services: the basic services fee, staff, the viewing, the ceremony and the hearse. In Texas that line is about $4,370 for a traditional funeral. The casket is next at about $2,900. Taken together, the cemetery charges cost even more than the casket: the vault, the plot, opening and closing the grave and the marker add up to about $5,650.
For a cremation with a service, the funeral home’s services are again the largest charge. For a direct cremation, almost the whole bill is the funeral home’s direct cremation price, which in our price list sample ran from $575 in Florida to $4,505 in Ohio.
Funeral Cost Breakdown: What Each Line on the Price List Pays For
Every funeral home must give you a General Price List with each charge listed separately. These are the lines you will see, with the NFDA 2023 national medians brought to 2026 dollars.
| Price list line | What it pays for | National median, 2026 dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Basic services fee | Planning, permits, staff and overhead. The one charge you cannot decline. | $2,878 |
| Transfer of remains | Bringing the body to the funeral home. | $462 |
| Embalming | Preparing the body for a viewing. Not required by federal law. | $989 |
| Other preparation | Dressing, cosmetology and hair. | $345 |
| Viewing, facilities and staff | Use of the funeral home for the viewing. | $556 |
| Ceremony, facilities and staff | Use of the funeral home for the service. | $644 |
| Hearse | Taking the casket to the cemetery. | $439 |
| Service car or van | Errands such as collecting permits and flowers. | $205 |
| Printed memorial package | Programs, guest book and cards. | $228 |
| Metal casket | The casket, when bought from the funeral home. | $2,926 |
| Vault | The outer burial container most cemeteries require. | $1,984 |
| Cremation fee | The cremation itself, when the funeral home uses an outside crematory. | $468 |
| Urn | The container for the ashes. | $345 |
Source: NFDA 2023 General Price List Study medians, adjusted with the BLS Consumer Price Index for funeral expenses (factor 1.1706, 2023 average to August 2026).
Prices for the same line differ widely between funeral homes. In our sample of 21 price lists, two funeral homes in Ohio were $7,355 apart on service charges alone for the same traditional funeral. For how funeral homes build these prices, see funeral home price lists explained.
Your Rights Under the FTC Funeral Rule
The FTC Funeral Rule is a federal law that applies to every funeral home in the United States. Under it, you have the right to:
- Get prices over the phone without giving your name or address.
- Receive a General Price List that you can keep, with each charge listed separately.
- See a written casket price list and an outer burial container price list before you see the products.
- Buy only the goods and services you want, instead of a package.
- Use a casket or urn you bought somewhere else, with no handling fee.
- Use an alternative container instead of a casket for cremation.
- Make arrangements without embalming when there is no viewing.
- Receive a written statement of what you chose and what it costs before you pay.
Buying the casket from another seller is one of the largest savings available on a burial. Online sellers such as Discount Caskets deliver to the funeral home, and the funeral home must accept the casket. Full detail on each right is in our guide to the FTC Funeral Rule.
How Much Does a Burial Plot Cost?
A single burial plot costs about $650 to $2,500 in a city, county or church cemetery and about $3,000 to $10,000 in a private memorial park. Opening and closing the grave adds about $650 to $2,000, and most cemeteries also require a vault or grave liner at about $1,000 to $2,500. A flat marker with its setting fee runs about $600 to $2,000; an upright headstone with a foundation runs about $1,500 to $5,000. For marker prices by type and material, see what a headstone costs.
The calculator asks which kind of cemetery you plan to use, so the plot price in your estimate matches the cemetery you have in mind.
How to Pay for a Funeral, From Free Benefits to Financing
Start with the money that costs nothing, then move to the options that cost something.
- Claim the benefits you may already have. Social Security pays a one-time $255 death payment to an eligible spouse or child. The VA pays burial and plot allowances for eligible veterans.
- Ask the county about assistance. Many counties and states run burial or cremation assistance programs for families who qualify. Our funeral financial resources page lists where to start.
- Use an existing life insurance policy. Ask the funeral home to accept an assignment of the policy, so the insurer pays the funeral home directly.
- Set up a free memorial page with a fundraiser. A page on Ever Loved holds the obituary, the service details and a donation button in one link. See our Ever Loved fundraiser review.
- Compare financing before you sign a funeral home payment plan. A personal loan rate check uses a soft credit pull and does not affect your credit score.
Funeral Costs for Veterans: VA Burial Benefits
An eligible veteran can be buried in a VA national cemetery at no cost for the gravesite, opening and closing the grave, the vault or liner, a government headstone or marker, and a burial flag. For deaths on or after October 1, 2025, the VA pays up to $1,002 toward burial and up to $1,002 for a plot for a non-service-connected death, and up to $2,000 for a service-connected death. Check the current amounts at VA.gov.
When you mark the person as a veteran, the results add an option to switch to burial in a VA national cemetery and show the VA allowance in the amount your family may pay after benefits. More veteran benefits are on our military and veteran resources page.
Compare Funeral Home Prices Before You Choose One
Ask two or three funeral homes for their General Price Lists and set each one next to your estimate. The Memorial Merits funeral home directory lists funeral homes by state and city, checked against their state license, an active website and public reviews. No funeral home pays to be listed.
Planning Ahead: How Much to Set Aside for a Funeral
Use the calculator’s “I am planning my own funeral ahead” path to see the typical cost today in your state and what that funeral may cost in 10, 20 and 30 years, based on how fast funeral prices have risen. Funeral prices rose 17.1 percent from 2023 to August 2026 on the BLS funeral expense index.
If you prepay a funeral, get in writing which prices are guaranteed, whether the money is refundable, and where the money is held, because protections differ by state. If cremation is your plan, the cremation savings calculator shows what locking in a price today saves.
A Note From the Founder
I built the Memorial Merits Funeral Cost Calculator because I understand firsthand how important these decisions are, and what they can cost, at such a difficult time. When my father passed away, I was definitely not in the best position, mentally or emotionally, to face all of the questions I was faced with, especially the financial ones. I had no idea what items and services should cost, what was considered a fair price, what a higher or lower price afforded me, or what hidden or unadvertised fees would be included, nor did I have the time or the capacity to research much of any of it.
This may just be one of my favorite and most important tools on Memorial Merits, because it was built from lived experience. The Funeral Cost Calculator can tell you the average cost of a funeral in your state, add up and itemize the numerous line items on a funeral home’s estimate, help you find funeral homes in your local area and compare their quotes, show the burial benefits a veteran may qualify for, provide resources, coupons and discounts to help you save money on funeral costs, and give you direction and checklists to help you stay on track and stay protected. It draws on our funeral home directory and cost data for all 50 states and DC, and it even lets you download, print, email or share the entire report. It’s essentially a comparison tool, a discount and cost-saving resource, a checklist, and a funeral plan builder all in one, taking the guesswork and decision overload out of the equation and giving you peace of mind.
Funeral Cost Statistics for 2026
- 3,072,666 people died in the United States in 2024, a rate of 903.4 deaths per 100,000 people. Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics.
- 63.4 percent is the projected U.S. cremation rate for 2025, against a burial rate of 31.6 percent. Cremation is projected to reach 82.3 percent by 2045. Source: NFDA.
- $8,300 was the national median cost of a funeral with viewing and burial in 2023, $9,995 with a vault, and $6,280 for a funeral with viewing and cremation. Source: NFDA 2023 General Price List Study.
- 17.1 percent is how much funeral prices rose from their 2023 average to August 2026. Source: BLS Consumer Price Index, funeral expenses.
- $15,250 to $17,200 is the typical all-in cost of a traditional funeral with burial in 2026, by state, with the cemetery counted. Source: Memorial Merits Funeral Cost Index 2026.
- $7,355 separated two Ohio funeral homes on service charges alone for the same traditional funeral. Source: Memorial Merits review of 21 funeral home price lists, 2025 to 2026.
- $5 to $34 is the range for the first certified copy of a death certificate across the states, with a median of $18. Source: CDC Where to Write for Vital Records.
- 15,401 funeral homes operate in the United States, and about 75 percent are family or privately owned. Source: NFDA.
- 61.4 percent of consumers said in 2025 they were interested in green funeral options, up from 55.7 percent in 2021. Source: NFDA.
- $255 is the one-time Social Security death payment to an eligible spouse or child. Source: Social Security Administration.
Funeral Cost Resources
Official Sources
- FTC: The FTC Funeral Rule: the rights every funeral home must honor.
- FTC: Funeral Costs and Pricing Checklist: a worksheet for comparing funeral homes.
- FTC: Buying a Cemetery Site: what to ask before you buy a plot.
- CDC: Where to Write for Vital Records: death certificate fees and offices for every state.
- Social Security: Survivor Benefit Amounts: the $255 death payment and monthly survivor benefits.
- VA: Veterans Burial Allowance: current allowance amounts and how to apply.
- BLS: Consumer Price Index for Funeral Expenses: how funeral prices change month to month.
Consumer and Industry Organizations
- Funeral Consumers Alliance: a nonprofit that helps families compare prices and know their rights.
- Funeral Consumers Alliance: Financial Assistance for Final Arrangements.
- National Funeral Directors Association: Statistics: cremation and burial rates and industry figures.
Memorial Merits Guides and Tools
- Funeral costs and funeral homes by state
- What cremation costs in 2026
- The FTC Funeral Rule: your rights
- Hidden funeral costs
- Headstone cost
- Ways to pay for a funeral
- Cremation savings calculator
For Journalists and Researchers
The Memorial Merits Funeral Cost Index and the figures on this page may be quoted with credit to “Memorial Merits Funeral Cost Index 2026” and a link to https://memorialmerits.com/funeral-cost-calculator/. For the state data set or the method in more detail, write to [email protected].
Frequently Asked Questions About Funeral Costs
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