--- title: Funeral Costs in 2026: Burial, Cremation and Help Paying url: https://coverfolk.com/funeral-costs updated: 2026-10-08 --- # What a funeral costs, and how to pay for it National prices, your rights at the funeral home, and help for families in each of our 13 states. Updated October 8, 2026[Fact checked](/editorial-standards) The short answer The national median funeral with viewing and burial cost $8,300 in 2023. With viewing and cremation it was $6,280. Cemetery costs like the plot and headstone are extra. ## Your rights under the FTC Funeral Rule * You can ask for prices on the phone. You do not have to give your name. * When you visit, the funeral home must give you a written price list that lists each item and service. You can keep it. * You can see casket prices before you look at the caskets. * You can buy only the items you want. You do not have to buy a package. * You can buy a casket or urn somewhere else. The funeral home cannot refuse it or charge you a fee to use it. * No state law says every body must be embalmed. Cooling is often fine. Direct cremation does not need embalming. * No law says you need a casket for cremation. The funeral home must offer a simple container. * Before you pay, you get a written list of each thing you picked, its price, and the total. * The rule does not cover casket stores, monument dealers, or cemeteries that have no funeral home on site. ## Help from Social Security Social Security pays a one time $255 death payment. A spouse who lived with the person can get it. A spouse who lived apart can get it if they get benefits on that person's record. If there is no spouse, some children can get it: kids 17 or younger, kids 18 or 19 still in grade school full time, or a child of any age who became disabled before 22. You must apply within 2 years of the death. Apply online with my Social Security or call 1 800 772 1213 (TTY 1 800 325 0778). ## Funeral costs and help by state [Arizona](/funeral-costs/arizona)[California](/funeral-costs/california)[Florida](/funeral-costs/florida)[Georgia](/funeral-costs/georgia)[Illinois](/funeral-costs/illinois)[Michigan](/funeral-costs/michigan)[New Jersey](/funeral-costs/new-jersey)[New York](/funeral-costs/new-york)[North Carolina](/funeral-costs/north-carolina)[Ohio](/funeral-costs/ohio)[Pennsylvania](/funeral-costs/pennsylvania)[Tennessee](/funeral-costs/tennessee)[Texas](/funeral-costs/texas) ## Ways to pay for a funeral [**How much does a funeral cost?**](/answers/how-much-does-a-funeral-cost)[**Who pays for a funeral if there is no money or insurance?**](/answers/no-money-for-funeral)[**Preneed funeral plan vs final expense insurance: what is the difference?**](/answers/preneed-vs-final-expense)[**Can I assign my life insurance to a funeral home?**](/answers/assign-policy-to-funeral-home)[**What does it cost to send a loved one's body back to another country, and can insurance help?**](/answers/send-body-home)[**Does the VA pay for a veteran's funeral and burial?**](/answers/va-burial-benefits)[**Does Social Security pay a death benefit?**](/answers/social-security-death-benefit)[**Is there cremation insurance?**](/answers/cremation-insurance) ## Sources 1. [FTC: The FTC Funeral Rule](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/ftc-funeral-rule) 2. [SSA: Lump sum death payment](https://www.ssa.gov/personal-record/when-someone-dies/lump-sum-death-payment) 3. [NFDA news release: 2023 median cost of a funeral](https://content.nfda.org/news/media-center/nfda-news-releases/id/8134/2023-nfda-general-price-list-study-shows-inflation-increasing-faster-than-the-cost-of-a-funeral) 4. [NFDA statistics page (2025 cremation rate 63.4% projected)](https://nfda.org/news/statistics) 5. [CANA industry statistics](https://www.cremationassociation.org/page/IndustryStatistics) 6. [CANA 2026 statistics preview (state map)](https://www.cremationassociation.org/uploads/1/4/7/4/147494009/2026statisticspreview_web.pdf) ## Questions about funeral costs How much does a funeral cost? The NFDA says the median funeral with a viewing and burial cost $8,300 in 2023. Cremation is often less. Who pays for a funeral if there is no insurance? Usually the family. Some states and counties help when there is no money, but the help is small. Can the funeral home make me buy a package? No. The FTC Funeral Rule says you can buy only the goods and services you want.