Cremation rates in the U.S. are at an all-time high.
Our Malique Rankin explains why trends have shifted to less people choosing a traditional burial.
The annual report from the Nation Funeral Directors Association found that 50.2 percent of Americans chose cremation in 2016, beating out burials for the first time.
North Dakota isn’t far behind.
Bob Eastgate; Owner of Eastgate and Parkway Funeral and Cremation Service: “In North Dakota, when I got out of school in 1982, the cremation rate was probably about 4 percent in the state. Since that time, currently, it’s about 45 percent.”
Bob Eastgate owns Eastgate and Parkway Funeral and Cremation Services.
He says the increase in cremations in North Dakota is partly because of accessibility.
Bob Eastgate: “In the 1980’s, there was one crematory in the whole state, and that was in Fargo.”
Cost is also a factor. At Eastgate, cremation packages start at $2,200
Burial packages start at $7,300
The National Funeral Directors Association says the increase in cremation can be pin-pointed to two major factors: Religion and Age. Non-religious Americans are most likely to consider cremation for family and friends, as well as younger generations.
We put a poll on our KX News Facebook page, and here’s what you said.
Bob Eastgate says that whichever option you decide, there’s no one right way to mourn.
NFDA expects the trend shifting from burial toward cremation to continue over the next 20 years, with the projected rate of cremation reaching 78.8 percent of deaths by 2035.
