Authority source
What does the NFDA say about typical U.S. funeral and burial costs?
National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA)
Reviewed by Jason Burns, Editorial Steward · Last verified 2026-07-24
The National Funeral Directors Association is the trade association for U.S. funeral service. Each year the NFDA surveys its member firms and publishes a General Price List (GPL) Study — the most widely cited benchmark for what a typical U.S. funeral costs.
The 2023 NFDA GPL Study puts the national median cost of a funeral with viewing and burial at approximately $8,300, and a funeral with cremation at approximately $6,280. These figures include the funeral home's charges but not cemetery or grave marker costs, which are separate line items and can add several thousand dollars.
Consumers pricing a final expense policy commonly aim to cover at least the median funeral cost plus any cemetery and marker expenses. Because these are national medians, prices in any specific state or metropolitan area can be materially higher or lower — confirm locally before choosing a face amount.
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People also ask
Do NFDA medians include cemetery costs?
No. The NFDA medians reflect funeral-home charges. Cemetery plot, grave opening/closing, vault, and marker costs are separate and can add several thousand dollars.
How much final expense coverage do people typically buy?
A common target is enough to cover the NFDA national median ($8,300 burial / $6,280 cremation) plus local cemetery/marker costs — often $10,000–$15,000 of coverage. Confirm locally.
Other authority sources
- NAIC — What does the NAIC say about final expense and burial insurance?
- State DOI directory — Where do I verify a final expense insurance agent's license or file a complaint?
- IRS — What does the IRS say about the taxability of final expense life insurance proceeds?
- CDC / NCHS — What does the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics say about U.S. mortality and life expectancy?
- U.S. Census Bureau — What does the U.S. Census Bureau publish about the senior population that buys final expense insurance?
Last verified 2026-07-24. See editorial steward, editorial standards, and all sources.