For writers & researchers
Every statistic on this page comes from 305 published General Price Lists (the FTC-mandated price disclosure) analyzed in our 2026 Funeral Price Study. All figures are free to cite with attribution — each stat carries its ready-to-paste source line, and the full methodology and state tables are public.
$1,963national median, direct cremation (n=258)
$2,495national median, immediate burial (n=234)
$2,270median basic services fee (n=194)
5.1xstate-to-state spread on the same cremation
Headline statistics
The median direct cremation in the U.S. costs $1,963 (n=258 price lists).
Source: BurialInsuranceCost.com Funeral Price Study, 2026 — analysis of 305 published General Price Lists.
The median immediate burial costs $2,495 — before casket, vault, or any cemetery charge (n=234).
Source: BurialInsuranceCost.com Funeral Price Study, 2026 — analysis of 305 published General Price Lists.
The median non-declinable basic services fee is $2,270 (n=194) — often more than an entire direct cremation.
Source: BurialInsuranceCost.com Funeral Price Study, 2026 — analysis of 305 published General Price Lists.
The median embalming charge is $795 (n=256) — a service no state requires for prompt disposition.
Source: BurialInsuranceCost.com Funeral Price Study, 2026 — analysis of 305 published General Price Lists.
The median transfer of remains charge is $450 (n=232).
Source: BurialInsuranceCost.com Funeral Price Study, 2026 — analysis of 305 published General Price Lists.
State extremes
Colorado has the cheapest direct cremation in America: $695 median (n=7) — about 2.8x below the national median.
Source: BurialInsuranceCost.com Funeral Price Study, 2026 — analysis of 305 published General Price Lists.
Rhode Island has the most expensive direct cremation: $3,515 median (n=3).
Source: BurialInsuranceCost.com Funeral Price Study, 2026 — analysis of 305 published General Price Lists.
Maine has the most expensive immediate burial in the nation: $5,495 median (n=3).
Source: BurialInsuranceCost.com Funeral Price Study, 2026 — analysis of 305 published General Price Lists.
Washington has the cheapest immediate burial: $650 median (n=3).
Source: BurialInsuranceCost.com Funeral Price Study, 2026 — analysis of 305 published General Price Lists.
The same direct cremation varies 5.1x between states ($695 in Colorado vs $3,515 in Rhode Island) — a bigger gap than the national difference between cremation and burial.
Source: BurialInsuranceCost.com Funeral Price Study, 2026 — analysis of 305 published General Price Lists.
Cremation vs burial
Burial's funeral-home median runs $533 above cremation's ($2,495 vs $1,963) — before the casket, vault and cemetery charges that only burial requires.
Source: BurialInsuranceCost.com Funeral Price Study, 2026 — analysis of 305 published General Price Lists.
In 11 states, the median direct cremation actually costs more than the median immediate burial — an "inverted market" pattern.
Source: BurialInsuranceCost.com Funeral Price Study, 2026 — analysis of 305 published General Price Lists.
Maine has the largest burial premium: immediate burial ($5,495) runs 3.9x its direct cremation median ($1,395).
Source: BurialInsuranceCost.com Funeral Price Study, 2026 — analysis of 305 published General Price Lists.
Context from industry sources
The NFDA's most recent member survey (2023) put the median full funeral with viewing and burial at $8,300 — our figures measure the published price-list lines underneath that total, which is why they are lower and state-specific.
Source: BurialInsuranceCost.com Funeral Price Study, 2026 — analysis of 305 published General Price Lists. (NFDA 2023 figure cited for context; our data measures published GPL line items, not surveyed funeral totals.)
Frequently asked questions
How much does a funeral cost in 2026?
On the funeral home's price list alone, the national median is $1,963 for direct cremation and $2,495 for immediate burial (before casket, vault, or cemetery charges). A traditional funeral with viewing and ceremony typically lands between $8,000 and $15,000 once every layer is added.
What is the cheapest state for cremation?
Colorado, with a median direct cremation of $695 across 7 published price lists — the lowest state median in our 305-price-list analysis.
What is the most expensive state for a funeral?
For immediate burial, Maine has the highest state median at $5,495; for direct cremation it is Rhode Island at $3,515.
Is embalming required by law?
No state requires embalming for a typical prompt disposition; refrigeration is the accepted alternative. It becomes practically required only for a public viewing. The national median embalming charge is $795.
Where does this data come from?
From 305 General Price Lists — the itemized price disclosure the FTC Funeral Rule requires every U.S. funeral home to provide — published online by funeral homes and collected July–October 2026 across 51 jurisdictions. Every figure is a median of listed prices with its sample size shown.
How to cite these statistics
Copy the source line under any statistic, or cite the study as: "Source: BurialInsuranceCost.com Funeral Price Study, 2026 — analysis of 305 published General Price Lists." Per-state tables are in the full study; the aggregated dataset (CSV) is available for download there. For custom cuts, use the contact page.
All statistics computed from 305 General Price Lists published online by U.S. funeral homes under the FTC Funeral Rule, collected July–October 2026 across 51 jurisdictions. Figures are medians of listed prices; "n" is the number of price lists behind each number. State figures use only states with n ≥ 3. Prices change; verify against current GPLs for time-sensitive work. Free to reuse with attribution and a link.
