How Much Does a Funeral Cost: What’s the Price of Dying in 2023?

It’s heartbreaking enough to lose a loved one. It’s even worse to lack the funds needed to pay for a funeral and say a proper goodbye.

Unfortunately, this is becoming a much more common problem, as funeral prices only seem to be rising.

However, on a slightly brighter note, there are some ways to make the ceremony more affordable.

How much does a funeral cost, then?

Let’s dive into all the key details:

Gruesome Facts About Funeral Prices (Editor’s Choice):

• A funeral with a burial can cost anywhere between $7,000 and $12,000.
• Cremations range from $1,000 to $8,000.
• Casket prices are usually in the $2,000 to $5,000 range.
• The average price for a funeral in the US is $8,121.58.
• The 2021 median cost was $7,848 for burials and $6,791 for cremations.
• On average, embalming costs $700.
• Direct burials can be priced between $1,800 and $3,500.
• Hawaii has the highest expenses, with funeral costs 84% higher than the nationwide average.

What’s the Average Funeral Cost in 2022?

As you can now probably guess, the prices are pretty high. But how high exactly?

1. The average funeral cost can go from $7,000 to $12,000.

(Source: Lincoln Heritage Life Insurance Company)

Funerals have many underlying costs. You’re not just paying for the burial or the cremation. You also need to buy a casket, pay for embalming, service fees, and many other things.

Unfortunately, the most important parts are also the ones with the highest costs. According to Lincoln Heritage Life Insurance Company, the average funeral expenses can reach $9,000 and above.

2. Conversely, an average direct burial can cost you as little as $1,800 to $3,500.

(Source: Cremation Institute)

The world is in crisis. Everything is becoming more and more expensive, funerals included. A direct burial can be a good workaround.

So how much is a direct funeral?

In a worst-case scenario, it’s still half as much as a normal burial. That’s mostly because it doesn’t use a coffin and doesn’t require embalming.

3. The average direct cremation cost can be anywhere between $800 and $4,000, depending on location.

(Source: Cremation Institute)

This way, you can avoid expenses for embalming, viewing, wake, visitation, and other costly practices. Additionally, by choosing urns instead of caskets, you’re saving up on one of the biggest funeral expenses.

The cost of the cremation process itself is usually in the $250-$400 range. An urn can be as low as $50, depending on the material—wooden ones are by far the cheapest.

In the end, direct cremation may be cheaper, but a more typical form usually isn’t.

4. The average cost of a cremation ranges between $1,000 and $8,000.

(Source: Lincoln Heritage Life Insurance Company)

For the most part, cremations are much cheaper than burials. However, their cost highly depends on the state you’re doing it in. The same goes for additional services, as funeral homes charge a lot more if you decide to include many of these.

Should you do that, cremation costs can easily reach those of burials.

5. On average, cremation is $2,500 cheaper than a burial.

(Source: Lincoln Heritage Life Insurance Company)

Comparing the cost of cremation vs. that of burial is a tough thing to do as both depend on many volatile factors. So let’s see what some of the most reputable sources say.

According to LHLIC, a cremation is nearly $2,500 cheaper. Both require you to pay for service and viewing, while embalming and preparation for viewing are listed as highly important. The LHLIC includes all these expenses.

So what else is included in the burial package? That would be the hearse, casket, vault, graves, and headstones. In the cremation option, only the urn is included. This comes down to over $8,700 for burial and $6,200 for cremation.

The casket makes the biggest difference here. So the logical question would be, “How much does a casket cost?”

2022 Funeral Cost Breakdown: Key Information

Caskets are by far the most expensive funeral element.

Here’s a quick breakdown of all the key parts to help you figure out what funeral costs consist of.

6. The average embalmment cost in the US is $700.

(Source: Ever Loved)

What is the embalmment process, and why is it so important?

In layman’s terms, embalmment means a procedure that preserves the deceased’s body. It consists of injecting various chemicals into it to delay the decomposition process, making the body “presentable” for viewing. It’s especially crucial if you decide to have an open-casket ceremony.

7. An open-casket service requires embalmment.

(Source: Ever Loved)

The choice between open or closed casket ceremonies commonly comes down to personal preferences. However, you should know that an open-casket funeral can be considerably more expensive.

If the body is to be seen, it should be embalmed beforehand. As mentioned, this brings the funeral costs up by at least $700.

Also, keep in mind that a closed-casket funeral is the only option in many cases, i.e., when an infant dies or the body isn’t recognizable.

8. Casket prices usually range between $2,000 and $5,000. However, they can go much, much higher.

(Source: Lincoln Heritage Life Insurance Company)

The good news is that you’re not required by law to buy your casket from the funeral home and can use one from another retailer if the price suits you better.

What determines how much a casket is are materials and design. They come in many shapes and sizes and can even reach a price of $10,000 and above.

Funeral Costs by State: Which One Has the Most Expensive Services in the US?

States tend to differ highly from one another. Funerals do too. Here are the 20 most expensive states when it comes to funeral services:

9. The average funeral in the United States costs $8,121.58.

(Source: World Population Review)

There you go. Now you have the answer to the question, “How much does a funeral cost in the States?”

America has certainly put a high price on funeral and end-of-life expenses. The former already averages a staggering $8,121.58.

The end-of-life costs can go even higher, reaching an average of $14,369.34. This makes the total average cost of dying $22,490.92.

But wait—some states have a much higher average cost of a funeral than others.

10. In 2021, the US median cost was $7,848 for burial and $6,791 for cremation.

(Source: National Funeral Directors Association)

How much does it cost to bury someone in the US?

The price is rising steadily with each passing year.

From 2016 to 2021, the median funeral cost (including viewing and burial) jumped by 6.6%—from $7,360 to $7,848.

The median cost for a funeral (including cremation) grew by 11.3%—the median cremation funeral cost rose from $6,260 (2016) to $6,970 (2021).

Some good news is that at least prices aren’t rising as fast as the inflation rate (13.98%).

11. A funeral in Hawaii costs 84% more than the average US price.

(Source: World Population Review)

There’s no denying that Hawaii is one of the most expensive states.

Unfortunately, as it turns out, it’s not only incredibly costly to live in, it’s even more so to die in.

So how much do funerals cost there? If we consult the table above, we can see it’s in the lead with an astounding $14,975. That’s almost twice as high as the country’s average!

12. How much does a cremation cost on average? $2,300! If coupled with a memorial service, the price reaches $6,078.

(Source: Lincoln Heritage Life Insurance Company)

The average cremation cost nearly falls in the middle of the overall average price.

A cremation with a memorial service can cost almost three times more than that, averaging a price over $6,000.

13. Mississippi has the lowest funeral costs.

(Source: World Population Review)

Unfortunately, other than procuring the average US price, we can’t answer the question, “How much a cremation is in different states?”

We do know that Mississippi has the cheapest average for a funeral, reaching as low as $6,684. The state’s end-of-life costs are at $11,825, making the total average $18,509.

Wrap Up

Losing a loved one is indeed the worst thing a person can experience in their life. As such, finances shouldn’t be another reason to grieve.

When all is said and done, there surely are ways to decrease funeral expenses. Thus, the question shouldn’t be, “How much does a funeral cost?” Instead, it’s what way you’d like to say goodbye to your person.

Either way, cherish your loved ones and tell them how you feel regularly. Life is short.