The National Funeral Directors Association’s (NFDA) 2025 Cremation & Burial Report has confirmed what the industry has long anticipated: cremation is now firmly the dominant form of final disposition in the United States.
The US cremation rate in 2025 is 63.4% — more than double the burial rate of 31.6%. And the trajectory doesn’t slow from here. The NFDA projects the national cremation rate will reach 82.3% by 2045, a point at which cremations will outnumber burials by more than six to one — a ratio never before seen in this country.
This is a dramatic structural shift for an industry that, not long ago, was built almost entirely on traditional burial.
What the 2025 Numbers Actually Told Us
The NFDA’s 2025 report, compiled using data from state vital-statistics departments and the University of Wisconsin–Madison Applied Population Laboratory, shows the following headline figures:
- US cremation rate: 63.4% (2025)
- US burial rate: 31.6% (2025)
- Projected cremation rate by 2045: 82.3%
- Projected burial rate by 2045: 13.0%
- By 2035, every US state and Washington DC is projected to surpass a 50% cremation rate — currently, only three states still maintain majority-burial rates.
The Cremation Association of North America (CANA) independently puts the 2024 actual cremation rate at 61.8%, projecting it will reach 67.9% by 2029. CANA’s research has also noted that once a state crosses the 40% cremation threshold, the rate accelerates — and only begins to slow as it approaches 80%. Washington, Nevada, and Oregon are already at or near that plateau.
Just ten years ago, in 2015, cremation first edged ahead of burial. Since then, it has far outpaced even the most bullish projections.
What Does Cremation Cost in 2026?
The cost of cremation varies considerably depending on the type of service, provider, and location. Here is a straightforward breakdown of what families are paying in 2026.
Direct Cremation
Direct cremation — where the funeral home collects the deceased, handles all paperwork and permits, performs the cremation, and returns the cremated remains to the family — is the simplest and most affordable option.
- National average for direct cremation: approximately $2,202 (Funeralocity, 2025–2026 data)
- Range nationally: $495 to $1,795 through affordable cremation networks such as DFS Memorials
- Range across all providers: $275 to $9,800 — illustrating just how much prices vary by market
In many metro areas with competitive cremation markets, direct cremation packages can be arranged for $795 to $995. At the other extreme, providers in Connecticut, North Dakota, and Iowa have some of the highest average prices in the country, with prices often starting at $3,000 or more.
No viewing, embalming, or funeral service is included in a direct cremation. The family retains full flexibility to arrange a memorial of their own choosing, on their own timeline.
Cremation with Memorial Service
A cremation memorial service — where cremation is performed first, and the family holds a separate gathering with the urn present — is the next step up. Average costs for this option range from $3,300 to $5,500, though this varies significantly by provider and region.
Cremation Funeral (Full Service)
A full cremation funeral — similar in structure to a traditional burial service but with cremation rather than burial — carries an average cost of approximately $6,280 to $6,970. The NFDA reports the national median for a funeral with cremation, including viewing and service, was $6,280 as of their most recent data.
For comparison, the NFDA’s average cost of a traditional burial funeral last year was $7,848 — not including vault or cemetery plot fees, which can add several thousand dollars more.
Why Are Cremation Prices Rising?
With competition increasing and cremation volumes growing, one might expect prices to fall. In practice, costs have moved in the opposite direction in many markets.
Across the DFS Memorials national cremation network, prices increased at approximately 40% of providers in 2024–2025, with increases ranging from $50 to $500 per cremation package. Several factors are at work:
Energy costs. Natural gas prices directly affect the operating costs of a cremation retort. As energy costs rise, cremation providers absorb higher overheads — and eventually pass them on.
Cremation permit fees. County coroners must issue a permit before cremation can proceed. A few years ago, these were often issued at no charge. Today, fees vary considerably — and in some counties are now substantial. Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, for example, charges $357 for a cremation permit.
Corporate consolidation. Service Corporation International (SCI), trading as Dignity Memorial, has continued its acquisition strategy. As large chains absorb independent funeral homes across more markets, competitive pricing pressure eases — and prices often rise.
Rising cost of living and staffing. Like every sector of the economy, funeral businesses have faced increased operating costs across labor, real estate, and logistics.
For families seeking the most affordable option, the message is clear: shop the market. The difference between the most affordable provider and the most expensive within the same zip code can easily exceed $1,000 for the same service.
What Does the Cremation Shift Mean for Funeral Businesses?
The economics of a funeral home have been fundamentally disrupted by the trend toward cremation.
Consider the math for a typical NFDA-member funeral home handling 113 cases per year:
- All traditional burial at $7,848 average: gross revenue of approximately $886,000
- 50/50 burial and full-service cremation: revenue drops to roughly $837,000
- By 2035, at 80% cremation (full service only): revenue falls to around $630,000
- At 80% cremation with the majority direct cremation: revenue could drop to approximately $300,000
In 2017, there were 19,322 funeral homes in the United States. By 2021, that number had fallen to 18,874 — down from more than 22,000 a decade earlier. That contraction is expected to continue.
The NFDA’s 2025 report also notes that employment in the funeral profession is projected to grow by just 4% between 2023 and 2033, and that personnel shortages remain the top business challenge across the sector. On a more optimistic note for the industry overall, funeral profession revenue is projected to grow at an annualized rate of 2.3%, reaching $20.6 billion by 2029 — reflecting the volume of deaths rather than per-case revenue.
Operators who are adapting are doing so in recognizable ways: installing their own crematories (approximately 30% of NFDA-member funeral homes now operate one, with another ~10% planning to add a retort), expanding service areas, and building out high-volume cremation operations. In cities like Miami, Houston, and San Francisco, some independent operators have scaled to conducting over 500 cremations per month, running multiple high-speed retorts around the clock with a largely online and phone-based arrangement model.
The NFDA’s 2025 data also shows that 36.3% of NFDA-member firms now offer online cremation arrangements, with an additional 25% planning to add this option — a significant jump from earlier years.
Technology, Green Burial, and What’s Changing in Consumer Behavior
Beyond the cremation rate itself, the 2025 NFDA report highlights several other shifts shaping the death care industry:
Digital services are becoming standard. Just over half of NFDA-member funeral homes now offer livestreaming for services, and 47% offer their own virtual funerals. This reflects a structural change in how families — often geographically dispersed — participate in memorials.
Green options are gaining ground. A striking 61.4% of consumers express interest in exploring green funeral options — including natural organic reduction (human composting), aquamation (alkaline hydrolysis), and conservation burials. This is no longer a niche interest; it is a mainstream consideration.
Transparency is becoming expected. The FTC’s Funeral Rule has long required funeral providers to disclose prices, and updated FTC rules are moving toward requiring basic pricing to be published online. Consumers today — 75% of those seeking cremation services, according to earlier research — expect to find prices on a provider’s website before contacting the provider. Funeral homes that fail to publish pricing are increasingly losing business to those that do.
Non-religious affiliation is a driver. The NFDA notes that as more Americans identify as non-religious — 28% in 2025, up from 16% in 2007 — the religious and cultural barriers to cremation and alternative dispositions continue to weaken. This demographic shift alone will continue to push cremation rates upward for decades.
What Should Consumers Know When Arranging Cremation?
Whether you are arranging cremation for an immediate need or planning ahead, here are the most important things to understand:
Not all cremation providers are equal. Dedicated cremation specialists, who focus exclusively on cremation, typically charge significantly less than full-service funeral homes that offer cremation as one of many services. In Florida and California, licensed direct disposers can perform cremations at some of the lowest costs in the country.
Compare itemized pricing. Under the FTC Funeral Rule, all providers must provide a General Price List on request. Use this to compare like-for-like — a headline price can mean very different things depending on what is and isn’t included.
A casket is not required for cremation. Most states require only a rigid, combustible container. A basic cardboard alternative typically costs between $50 and $400.
Third-party fees are extra. Death certificates, cremation permits, transportation beyond the standard radius, and overweight charges are typically added to a base cremation price. Always ask for the all-in total.
Preplanning locks in today’s prices. Given that prices have been rising across much of the country, preplanning a direct cremation now — and securing the funds in a designated account — protects your family from higher future costs and removes the decision-making burden from them at an already difficult time.
Looking Ahead at the Cremation Trend
The death care industry in 2026 is in the middle of a profound, multi-decade transition. Cremation has won the preference battle. The question now is how the industry reshapes itself around that reality — and how consumers can navigate an increasingly complex and competitive market to find affordable, dignified care for their families.
For the funeral consumer, the current environment offers a genuine opportunity. Prices in competitive markets are lower than ever for direct cremation. The tools for shopping, comparing, and arranging services online are more widely available than ever. And the social permission to choose a simple, meaningful farewell — without a traditional funeral home at its center — has never been broader.
Visit our Ultimate Guides to Cremation Costs by State and City to learn about cremation prices near you.
Latest Funeral Industry Key Statistics at a Glance
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| US cremation rate (2025) | 63.4% |
| US burial rate (2025) | 31.6% |
| Projected cremation rate by 2045 | 82.3% |
| National average direct cremation cost | ~$2,202 |
| Median funeral with cremation (NFDA) | $6,280 |
| Average traditional burial funeral | $7,848 |
| NFDA members offering online arrangements | 36.3% |
| Consumers interested in green options | 61.4% |
Sources: NFDA 2025 Cremation & Burial Report; CANA 2025 Annual Statistics Report; Funeralocity 2025–2026 national pricing data; DFS Memorials cremation network pricing data.
Resources:
How Cremation is becoming the Nation’s preferred Choice
Cremation And Burial Report Shows Rate Of Cremation At All-Time High (NFDA)
