Funeral Costs vs. Final Expense Coverage: 2026 State-by-State Report
This report puts the newest published funeral prices next to the average size of the final expense policies sold in 2025, and adds how many people 65 and older live in each state. Every number comes from a public source, linked below with its date.
Median funeral with viewing and burial
NFDA · 2023 pricesMedian funeral with viewing and cremation
NFDA · 2023 pricesAverage guaranteed-issue final expense policy
LIMRA and LOMA · 2025 salesPeople 65 and older in the U.S.
U.S. Census Bureau · July 1, 2025Funeral prices in this report are regional, not state by state.
The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) publishes median prices for nine regions of the country, not for each state, so each state shows its region's median. We did not find a state-level funeral price source we trust as much, so we did not build one.
Look up a state
Pick a state on the map or from the list to see its numbers. Funeral prices are the 2023 median for the state's NFDA region. Our report on insurance agent salary by state uses the same map for agent pay.
Key findings
The average guaranteed-issue final expense policy sold in 2025 was $11,299, more than the median funeral-home bill for a burial in every region; the highest regional median is $8,985, in New England.
LIMRA and LOMA, July 30, 2026 release. NFDA, 2023 study.
NFDA's $8,300 national median for a funeral with viewing and burial does not include the grave, opening and closing it, or a marker, and a burial vault adds another $1,695.
NFDA, 2023 study.
In 2024 the average guaranteed-issue policy was $9,786, smaller than NFDA's $9,995 national median for a burial funeral with a vault; by 2025 that policy average had grown 15.5%, to $11,299.
LIMRA and LOMA, June 12, 2025 and July 30, 2026 releases. NFDA, 2023 study.
The Pacific region, which includes California and Hawaii, has a lower burial median ($7,835) than the West North Central region of Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and the Dakotas ($8,755).
NFDA, 2023 study.
Maine has the largest share of residents 65 and older, 24.6% in July 2025, and is in New England, the region with the highest funeral median at $8,985.
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 estimates. NFDA, 2023 study.
Median funeral cost by region
Median cost of an adult funeral with viewing and burial, by region, 2023. Funeral-home charges only.
Source: NFDA 2023 General Price List Study (December 8, 2023). Policy line: LIMRA and LOMA Life Insurers Council, 2025 sales (July 30, 2026).
State table
The coverage gap is the funeral median minus the average policy. It is below zero in every region, so the last column shows the reverse: how much of an $11,299 policy is left after the median funeral-home bill for a burial. That money still has to cover the cemetery.
Swipe the table sideways to see the cost columns.
| Alabama | East South Central | 1,009,814 | 19.4% | $7,615 | $5,858 | $3,684 |
| Alaska | Pacific | 116,192 | 15.8% | $7,835 | $5,812 | $3,464 |
| Arizona | Mountain | 1,571,773 | 20.6% | $7,390 | $5,505 | $3,909 |
| Arkansas | West South Central | 591,966 | 19.0% | $7,912 | $5,890 | $3,387 |
| California | Pacific | 6,901,168 | 17.5% | $7,835 | $5,812 | $3,464 |
| Colorado | Mountain | 1,029,188 | 17.1% | $7,390 | $5,505 | $3,909 |
| Connecticut | New England | 751,845 | 20.4% | $8,985 | $7,023 | $2,314 |
| Delaware | South Atlantic | 241,321 | 22.8% | $8,023 | $6,103 | $3,276 |
| District of Columbia | Not listed by NFDA | 94,423 | 13.6% | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Florida | South Atlantic | 5,346,788 | 22.8% | $8,023 | $6,103 | $3,276 |
| Georgia | South Atlantic | 1,884,140 | 16.7% | $8,023 | $6,103 | $3,276 |
| Hawaii | Pacific | 324,150 | 22.6% | $7,835 | $5,812 | $3,464 |
| Idaho | Mountain | 379,157 | 18.7% | $7,390 | $5,505 | $3,909 |
| Illinois | East North Central | 2,379,145 | 18.7% | $8,280 | $6,120 | $3,019 |
| Indiana | East North Central | 1,284,435 | 18.4% | $8,280 | $6,120 | $3,019 |
| Iowa | West North Central | 649,656 | 20.1% | $8,755 | $6,713 | $2,544 |
| Kansas | West North Central | 561,319 | 18.9% | $8,755 | $6,713 | $2,544 |
| Kentucky | East South Central | 868,019 | 18.8% | $7,615 | $5,858 | $3,684 |
| Louisiana | West South Central | 868,225 | 18.8% | $7,912 | $5,890 | $3,387 |
| Maine | New England | 347,617 | 24.6% | $8,985 | $7,023 | $2,314 |
| Maryland | South Atlantic | 1,149,859 | 18.4% | $8,023 | $6,103 | $3,276 |
| Massachusetts | New England | 1,421,793 | 19.9% | $8,985 | $7,023 | $2,314 |
| Michigan | East North Central | 2,076,467 | 20.5% | $8,280 | $6,120 | $3,019 |
| Minnesota | West North Central | 1,113,573 | 19.1% | $8,755 | $6,713 | $2,544 |
| Mississippi | East South Central | 571,344 | 19.3% | $7,615 | $5,858 | $3,684 |
| Missouri | West North Central | 1,230,134 | 19.6% | $8,755 | $6,713 | $2,544 |
| Montana | Mountain | 253,772 | 22.2% | $7,390 | $5,505 | $3,909 |
| Nebraska | West North Central | 368,331 | 18.3% | $8,755 | $6,713 | $2,544 |
| Nevada | Mountain | 599,211 | 18.3% | $7,390 | $5,505 | $3,909 |
| New Hampshire | New England | 325,383 | 23.0% | $8,985 | $7,023 | $2,314 |
| New Jersey | Middle Atlantic | 1,767,250 | 18.5% | $8,573 | $6,498 | $2,726 |
| New Mexico | Mountain | 448,253 | 21.1% | $7,390 | $5,505 | $3,909 |
| New York | Middle Atlantic | 3,860,551 | 19.3% | $8,573 | $6,498 | $2,726 |
| North Carolina | South Atlantic | 2,119,438 | 18.9% | $8,023 | $6,103 | $3,276 |
| North Dakota | West North Central | 143,139 | 17.9% | $8,755 | $6,713 | $2,544 |
| Ohio | East North Central | 2,398,129 | 20.2% | $8,280 | $6,120 | $3,019 |
| Oklahoma | West South Central | 741,085 | 18.0% | $7,912 | $5,890 | $3,387 |
| Oregon | Pacific | 898,568 | 21.0% | $7,835 | $5,812 | $3,464 |
| Pennsylvania | Middle Atlantic | 2,799,790 | 21.4% | $8,573 | $6,498 | $2,726 |
| Rhode Island | New England | 233,061 | 20.9% | $8,985 | $7,023 | $2,314 |
| South Carolina | South Atlantic | 1,173,259 | 21.1% | $8,023 | $6,103 | $3,276 |
| South Dakota | West North Central | 181,082 | 19.4% | $8,755 | $6,713 | $2,544 |
| Tennessee | East South Central | 1,360,588 | 18.6% | $7,615 | $5,858 | $3,684 |
| Texas | West South Central | 4,711,381 | 14.9% | $7,912 | $5,890 | $3,387 |
| Utah | Mountain | 460,179 | 13.0% | $7,390 | $5,505 | $3,909 |
| Vermont | New England | 155,289 | 24.1% | $8,985 | $7,023 | $2,314 |
| Virginia | South Atlantic | 1,633,891 | 18.4% | $8,023 | $6,103 | $3,276 |
| Washington | Pacific | 1,460,563 | 18.3% | $7,835 | $5,812 | $3,464 |
| West Virginia | South Atlantic | 398,189 | 22.5% | $8,023 | $6,103 | $3,276 |
| Wisconsin | East North Central | 1,241,547 | 20.8% | $8,280 | $6,120 | $3,019 |
| Wyoming | Mountain | 121,648 | 20.7% | $7,390 | $5,505 | $3,909 |
Tap a column name to sort, or a row to open that state above. Funeral columns are regional medians. Download the CSV for the gap against both policy averages and for cremation.
What the funeral numbers leave out
NFDA's median counts funeral-home charges only: the basic services fee, moving the body to the funeral home, embalming and other preparation, the viewing, the ceremony, the hearse, a service van, a printed memorial package and a metal casket. It does not include a cemetery plot, opening and closing the grave, a headstone or marker, or cash-advance items such as flowers and an obituary.
A burial vault adds $1,695 (2023 national median), for a total of $9,995. We did not find a national cemetery cost figure from a source as reliable as NFDA, so this report does not give one.
Callers often size a policy around what they expect the funeral to cost, and these medians are a starting point for that talk. Our guide to what final expense callers are telling you covers how those calls go.
Methodology and sources
Funeral costs
NFDA 2023 General Price List Study, news release dated December 8, 2023. NFDA mailed the survey to 5,219 member funeral home owners on July 7, 2023; 809 answered. NFDA reports the results reflect its membership within plus or minus 3.4% at 95% confidence. Medians are given for nine U.S. Census divisions. Washington, D.C. is not named in NFDA's list, so its funeral columns are blank.
NFDA said its next study would run in 2025. As of November 11, 2026 we found no public release of 2025 results, so the 2023 study is the newest available. The prices are 2023 prices, and we did not adjust them for inflation.
People 65 and older
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates, state file by single year of age (sc-est2025-alldata6), resident population on July 1, 2025. We added up ages 65 through 85 and older. Share is that count divided by the state's total resident population.
Policy size
LIMRA and LOMA's Life Insurers Council Final Expense Survey. The release dated July 30, 2026 covers 2025 sales from 30 insurers: simplified-issue policies were 76% of policies sold, with an average face amount of $15,344; guaranteed-issue policies were 24%, with an average of $11,299. The release dated June 12, 2025 covers 2024 sales from 28 insurers: $14,535 and $9,786.
The survey covers participating insurers only, not the whole market. We use the guaranteed-issue average as the main benchmark because it is the smaller of the two. We did not find a published source for a typical policy of exactly $10,000, so we did not use that figure.
Final expense is also sold under other names. Our guide to burial insurance, funeral insurance and final expense explains how they overlap.
Coverage gap
Regional funeral median minus the average policy face amount. The CSV has the gap for burial and cremation against both policy averages.
Source for each column
- NFDA region, burial median, cremation median: NFDA, December 8, 2023
- People 65+, total residents, share 65+: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)
- Policy averages used in the gap columns: LIMRA and LOMA, July 30, 2026
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Published by InboundHQ. This report is general information, not insurance or financial advice.