Cremation Cost by City: 23 Major Metros Compared

Cremation cost by city is the right level to plan at, because state averages hide the spread that matters. A Texas family reading the state average of $2,018 learns little about Houston, where published figures run from $895 to $6,800. This index collects the published metro figures for 23 major cities in one table, so a family can start from their own city instead of their state.

Cremation cost by city at a glance

Averages come from the US Funerals city tables for Texas and California. Lowest and highest figures come from the DFS Memorials 2026 metro table, which draws on the DFS network and the Parting Funeral Price Survey. Where a cell says “Not published”, the fetched sources print no figure for it, and this index does not fill the gap with an estimate. Each city page names its sources and shows every figure in context.

Texas cities

Four Texas cities are covered: Houston ($2,094 average, $895 to $6,800), Dallas ($1,994, $845 to $6,300), San Antonio ($1,883, $995 to $2,476), and Austin ($1,839, $995 to $3,311). All four sit near or below the Texas state average of $2,018 except Houston, which sits above it on average while also holding the joint-cheapest best price in the state at $895. The lesson of the Texas table is that the state average describes no actual city well: San Antonio and Austin have narrow, lower ranges, while Houston and Dallas have very wide ones.

California cities

Three California cities are covered: Los Angeles ($1,655, $1,045 to $2,900), San Francisco ($1,998, from $1,195), and San Diego ($1,374, from $1,195). San Francisco has the highest city average in the US Funerals California table, while San Diego has the lowest published average of any city in this index. San Diego is also the city where two fetched sources disagree most: the DFS California page lists $2,004 average with a $1,446 best price, against $1,374 and $1,195 from US Funerals. The San Diego page reports both, unblended, because averaging conflicting surveys would invent a number neither publisher printed.

Other major metros

The remaining sixteen cities are New York City, Chicago, Phoenix, Miami, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Seattle, Denver, Boston, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Charlotte, Columbus, Indianapolis, and Salt Lake City. Their published ranges run from $495 to $6,750 in New York City, $1,295 to $4,600 in Chicago, $950 to $2,370 in Phoenix, $765 to $4,311 in Miami, $795 to $3,740 in Atlanta, $1,157 to $2,240 in Las Vegas, $995 to $3,225 in Seattle, $995 to $3,125 in Denver, $1,195 to $3,200 in Boston, $1,095 to $3,760 in Jacksonville, $695 to $3,895 in Pittsburgh, $1,395 to $5,978 in Baltimore, $995 to $4,235 in Charlotte, $995 to $2,311 in Columbus, $850 to $6,100 in Indianapolis, and $1,467 to $2,595 in Salt Lake City. Las Vegas has the narrowest range in the first batch, and Salt Lake City has one of the narrowest ranges in the second. Boston is the most striking against its state: Massachusetts averages $2,696, the highest state average in this batch, yet Boston’s best price found is $1,195.

How to use this index

Find your city, open its page, and compare its figures with the state average and the national direct average of $2,195. Then get three itemized General Price Lists from providers in or near that city, as the FTC Funeral Rule entitles you to, and compare the direct cremation line, the transport term, the crematory fee, and the death certificate position. A quote near the city lowest figure is a strong price. A quote near the city highest figure needs a clear reason, such as a viewing or a service. Prices change often, so treat every figure here as a researched snapshot from October 2026, not a quote.