We have brought together some topical news stories about the funeral industry and death-care in culture.
Cremation Trends: Operational Sustainability Takes Center Stage Cremation continues to define the trajectory of the U.S. death care market. National cremation rates remain elevated, and operators across multiple regions reported sustained call volume that shows little sign of slowing. However, the focus last week shifted toward operational sustainability rather than adoption. Key industry conversations centered … Read more
1. Cremation Trends: Volume Stability, Operational Pressure Cremation remained the defining structural force in the U.S. death care market last week. National cremation rates remain above 60%, with many urban and Western markets significantly higher. However, the most notable development is not growth—it is the stabilization of high-volume cremation demand. Funeral homes and crematories reported … Read more
1. U.S. Cremation Trends: Sustained Volume Becomes the Core Challenge Cremation remained the dominant force shaping the funeral industry last week, but the conversation has clearly moved beyond adoption rates. With U.S. cremation levels now exceeding 60% nationally—and surpassing 70% in many metropolitan markets—the challenge is no longer growth, but endurance. Industry discussion throughout the … Read more
U.S. Cremation Trends: High Volume Becomes the New Normal Cremation continued to dominate funeral industry conversation during the second full week of 2026, but the emphasis has shifted decisively from growth to capacity management. With U.S. cremation rates now well above 60% nationally—and far higher in many metro markets—operators are confronting the consequences of sustained … Read more
Pinnacle Funeral Service currently operates 29 individual locations across 6 states. However, it is important to clarify that Pinnacle is a partner/subsidiary of Rollings Funeral Service, and together they form a network of over 130 locations across more than 20 states. Because these companies prioritize “local identity,” they typically do not publish a single “master … Read more
Cremation Trends in the U.S.: Stability Exposes Capacity Constraints Cremation remains the dominant trend in the U.S. funeral industry, and the final week of 2025 confirmed that demand is no longer seasonal or volatile—it is structurally stable at historically high levels. National cremation rates remain above 60%, with many metropolitan and Sun Belt markets significantly … Read more
Cremation Trends: Capacity Planning Takes Center Stage Cremation once again dominated industry conversation this week, but the focus has decisively shifted from adoption rates to capacity and sustainability. With national cremation levels now consistently above 60%—and far higher in many metropolitan markets—providers are increasingly confronting the operational realities of permanent high volume. Across multiple regions, … Read more
📰 Key Headlines from the Week Below are the developments that stood out to industry professionals — and why they matter. 📊 Cremation Solidifies as Industry Mainstay — 63.4% Rate in 2025 The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) 2025 Cremation & Burial Report shows the U.S. cremation rate is projected to hit 63.4% this year … Read more
1. State Audit Exposes Major Gaps in Funeral Licensing & Inspection Oversight A newly released statewide audit revealed systemic shortcomings in how funeral-service regulators process complaints, manage inspection cycles, and track licensure. According to the report, multiple funeral directors continued practicing despite expired or inactive licenses, and many funeral establishments had no documented inspection for … Read more
OneRoom launches “next-gen” funeral streaming — and a built‑in revenue stream Houston-based OneRoom unveiled a major upgrade to its funeral streaming platform on December 2, framed as a “next-generation streaming experience” for both families and funeral homes.Connecting Directors Key new features include:Connecting Directors Executives Brady Cox (CEO) and Justin Whatley (CRO) explicitly positioned streaming as … Read more
1. Matthews International FY ’25 Results Highlight Memorialization & Cremation Platform Matthews International has reported its Fiscal Year 2025 and Q4 2025 results, with more than half of total company revenue now coming from its Memorialization segment, which includes Aurora Casket, Matthews cremation equipment, and a full line of cemetery products and markers. Funeral Director … Read more
1. Michigan Funeral Home Director Charged with 39 Felonies Over Prepaid Funds Michigan’s Attorney General has announced 39 felony charges against Terry Alvin Kaufman, 71, director and owner of Kaufman & Co. Funeral Home in Huron County. Kaufman is accused of embezzling nearly $193,000 in prepaid funeral and funeral insurance funds, much of it paid … Read more
1. Houston police raid unlicensed funeral home during active service Houston Police executed a search warrant at A Community Funeral Home in the city’s Third Ward on Friday, interrupting an active funeral service and relocating mourners to another facility mid-ceremony. The business had its funeral license revoked in August by the Texas Funeral Service Commission, … Read more
1. Major Industry Report Identifies Strategic Growth Areas A recently released market study titled “U.S. Funeral and Cremation Services and Supplies – State of the Industry Report 2025” maps out revenue trends, service mix projections, and emerging categories such as green funerals, personalization, digital memorials and pre-planning. Why this matters Implications for professionals & journalists … Read more
1. “Flying Farewells”: Aerial Ash Scatterings Enter the Funeral Mix According to a new post on Connecting Directors, the concept of aerial ash scatterings via airplane — branded “Flying Farewells” — is gaining attention in the death-care space. The article describes how providers partner with aviation services to give families a dramatic, elevated memorial option. … Read more
1. New 2025 “State of the Industry” Report Maps U.S. Funeral & Cremation Outlook Research and Markets released the 20th edition of its “State of the Industry: Funeral and Cremation Services and Supplies in the U.S.” report, covering trends from 2010–2029 and highlighting growth opportunities in green funerals, personalization, preplanning, pet funerals, social media marketing, … Read more
The U.S. Funeral & Cremation Industry: Shifting Models, Rising Green Demand & Regulatory Pressure Good morning to all funeral and cremation industry professionals and journalists.Here’s your daily, 1,000-word roundup of major developments shaping the U.S. death-care sector — including the latest shifts in cremation trends, funeral home operations, mergers, regulations, and consumer behavior. 1. Green Disposition … Read more
The funeral profession continues to evolve rapidly, driven by shifting consumer preferences, regulatory pressure, and consolidation across the death‑care ecosystem. Here’s a closer look at three timely stories that industry professionals and journalists should be watching — together with why they matter and their implications for those who run funeral homes, cremation‑centrics, cemeteries, and coverage … Read more
1) Veterans Day ceremonies face disruptions amid federal shutdown The Associated Press reported Friday that the federal government shutdown is forcing cancellations and schedule changes for some Veterans Day events, including programs at national cemeteries. For providers, this means last‑minute requests from families, more private or church‑based observances, and potential spikes in weekday chapels/committals shifted … Read more
1. Carriage Services Reports Strong Q3 Growth Amid Shifting Funeral Mix Source: Company press release & earnings call, Nov 6, 2025 Carriage Services (NYSE: CSV) reported Q3 2025 total revenue of $102.7 million, up 2% year-over-year, and a 17% rise in adjusted earnings per share. Growth was driven by a 21% increase in cemetery preneed … Read more
Good morning / afternoon for fellow funeral industry professionals and journalists: here’s your timely update on key developments in the U.S. death-care sector that matter for funeral homes, crematories, cemeteries, and allied services. We’ll unpack the news, consider the implications for practice, strategy and regulation, and highlight what to watch next. 1. Consolidation in the … Read more
How much is the U.S. Funeral Industry worth? The U.S. funeral market is estimated to be worth around $20.8 billion annually in 2025, with approximately 3.1 million deaths projected for the year. Due to the aging U.S. population, the death rate is expected to continue rising in the coming years, with projections showing an increase to … Read more
Cremation is storming our funeral industry as more and more Americans choose cremation for their final disposition. The cremation rate in the U.S. has risen from around 20% in the mid-1990s to over 60% in 2023. Forecasts expect it to reach over 80% by 2030. Pet Cremation: A convenient final disposition for lost furry loved … Read more
The Funeral Rule is currently under review by the FTC. In November 2022, an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was announced, inviting the public to comment on proposed changes and updates to the long-standing Rule. Who are the FTC? The Federal Trade Commission is a government agency established to enforce antitrust and consumer protection laws … Read more
The world of inheritance tax has come into the spotlight in recent months. According to the Wall Street Journal, President Biden is preparing to roll out a new series of inheritance and death tax measures that will have an impact even on modest estates – despite a stated aim of putting pressure on the ultra-wealthy. As a … Read more
In April 2021 Congress passed legislation to authorize FEMA to provide financial assistance to those families who had incurred funeral expenses related to the passing of a family member from COVID-19. This relates ONLY to funeral expenses paid out after January 20th, 2020. FEMA is now accepting applications to claim back funeral expenses incurred. As … Read more
How to cater to, and market to, the growing Hispanic and Latino population in the United States is something many industries and even government agencies are trying to understand and master today. Here at US Funerals Online, we wrote some time ago a short piece on ‘Funeral Homes Catering to the Hispanic Population’, and yet … Read more
CNN ran an interesting story today from Asia about the design project for a floating cemetery. The title of “A cruise for cremains” caught my eye as I envisaged that the Carnival Cruise Ship Line was introducing a service offering ash scattering cruises from the U.S. to the Caribbean. I recently read of a baby … Read more
Google is quite omnipotent, and has such powerful control over our everyday interactions in the digital world today. Whether you choose to, or not, it is likely you use a Google product almost every day, and probably multiple times. Facebook announced some time ago that they had introduced an option to facilitate an account being … Read more
We all are familiar with the term ‘poverty’ and what it implies. The US Census 2017 reported that 13.9% of Americans live below the poverty line or poverty threshold. The poverty threshold is defined as a household income of $16,240 for a family of 2. This, however, does not take into account the thousands of … Read more
This seems to be a growing trend among progressive funeral homes today. Since we first published an article in January 2011 about ‘US Funeral Homes Adapting to Host Weddings and Other Life Celebration Events’, it seems there are more and more innovative ways in which funeral homes are serving as community centers. The bottom line … Read more
According to the 2008 census, people of Hispanic origin are now the nation’s largest ethnic or race minority. Hispanics constitute 15% of the nation’s total population, with 48% of the Hispanic-origin population living in California and Texas. With an ever-increasing Hispanic population, even the Funeral Industry is now adapting to how to fulfill the growing … Read more
A lock of Michael Jackson’s hair owned by known Hollywood hair collector, John Reznikoff, is now going to be used to create a unique diamond by a company named LifeGem. Reznikoff, who secured a lock of Jackson’s hair that had caught fire in a freak accident during the filming of a 1984 Pepsi commercial, reportedly … Read more
A new analysis of mortality rates in the United States during different times of the year has found that people are more likely to die during the holidays – namely on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. A group of sociologists analyzed all the official death certificates during a 25-year period in the U.S. between … Read more
Cremation has become a household term in the U.S. today, now accounting for 55% of all funerals conducted. Even those states traditionally very slow to accept cremation–Mississippi, Tennessee, and Alabama are now reporting significant increases in cremation cases. The funeral industry, known in the past for its slowness to respond to change, is starting to … Read more
On Thursday, January 31st, 2013, CNBC aired a documentary that went behind the scenes of the $17 billion death care industry in the United States. Tyler Mathisen presented the show that looked at how death care professionals profit from helping us make that final journey. It is already acknowledged by those within the death care … Read more
