2016 marked the year that more cremations were conducted than burials. Last year 50.2% of dispositions were cremations. This is a huge shift in the funeral industry and a significant change in tradition.
Why are more Americans choosing cremation? There are several reasons cited, but by far the most common reason is COST. Economical conditions for the majority of Americans mean that the days of elaborate and costly traditional burials are over.
A traditional burial would cost anywhere in the region of $10,000 – $20,000 depending upon the cost of the casket and cemetery plot. If the deceased had not made any pre-need funeral plan, and surviving family are left to fork out for the funeral, then spending tens of thousands of dollars is just NOT an option.
CNN reported in 2015 that 76% of Americans were living paycheck to paycheck. And these are the folks that cannot afford the sudden ‘disruption’ to their finances of an unexpected expenditure such as a funeral.
And let’s face the harsh reality which is that there really is NO financing for a funeral. Seriously who is going to lend money based upon having no means to ‘re-possess’ the goods?!!
So for many Americans cremation has just entered the scene as the ONLY viable affordable alternative to conduct a funeral.
A cremation service will cost you within the region of $3,000 – $4000.
This is a full service funeral but with a cremation conducted after the service.
A cremation memorial where the deceased is first cremated and then a memorial service held with the cremated remains costs less than a full-service cremation.
A cremation memorial is likely to cost in the region of $1,500 – $2,500.
For those families that can only afford the bare minimum, or for those families that do not desire any services whatsoever, then a direct cremation is the solution. A direct cremation is where the funeral home and/or crematory simply handle conducting the cremation of the deceased and returning the remains to the family.
A direct cremation costs anywhere in the region of $425 – $1,595 depending on the city, location and provider. The cost for a direct cremation does vary geographically. For example, Las Vegas NV is probably the cheapest place to purchase a direct cremation and Lafayette LA is one of the most expensive for a direct cremation.
It is always wise to check cremation prices from more than one funeral home or cremation service provider. You will quickly discover that the cost for a cremation service can vary, even for the exact same service.
If cost is king for you and you want to arrange a low-cost direct cremation and keep your funeral costs to a minimum, then DFS Memorials can help you. DFS Memorials is a network of local, independent funeral homes all offering an affordable direct cremation package. We conducted extensive price comparison research to recruit a local cremation provider that represented best value in quality and price for a simple direct cremation.
Use the state links on the right-hand side to find your nearest DFS Memorials provider and discover the affordable cost for a direct cremation in your area.
I have been researching and writing about the death care industry for the last fifteen years. End of life services and experiences are something most of us choose not to reflect upon until we are suddenly faced with dealing with it. I have been contributing comprehensive and independent resources for families that explain how the funeral industry operates, and the laws that govern funeral practices. Sara writes for US Funerals Online and DFS Memorials LLC, as well as contributing to other forums and publications for the death care industry. I have a BA in Cultural Studies. This helps my analysis of cultural death care rituals, alongside a career background in Business Management. The death care industry is undergoing an epoch of change and this fascinates me.
