10 PRICES TRACKED
Headstone or grave marker
The memorial marker, usually bought separately. Prices range widely by size, material and engraving.
Every price we track (hover a dot)
The gap: advertised vs actually paid (medians)
People reported paying 240% more than the advertised list price for headstone.
List prices are advertised prices; paid figures are what people reported, often for different cases and from a small sample so far. Treat the gap as a signal, not a quote.
Quoted vs actually paid (real submissions)
The strongest signal there is: what one person was quoted, and what the same job actually cost them.
- quoted $1,520↔paid $1,5200%
CBS News Chicago, family ordered their matriarch's headstone from Gast Monuments (Evergreen Park, IL)
- quoted $2,543↔paid $2,5430%
WLOX news, the Neff family paid Picayune Monument for their daughter's headstone, Mississippi
| Year | Region | Provider | What it was | List | Paid | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | US unspecified | Unknown | Flat grave markerLincoln Heritage / Funeral Advantage: typical flat grave marker (upright headstones run higher) | $1,000 | — | source |
| 2026 | Pennsylvania | Independent | Headstone, popular upright monument starting priceRome Monument, a family-owned monument maker in Rochester/Monaca, Pennsylvania since 1934; starting price for its Popular Upright Monuments line (published range $1,200 to $4,000). | $1,200 | — | source |
| 2024 | Illinois | Unknown | HeadstoneCBS News Chicago, family ordered their matriarch's headstone from Gast Monuments (Evergreen Park, IL) | — | $1,520quoted $1,520 | source |
| 2015 | North Carolina | Unknown | Headstone, bronze flat markerReader-submitted cost via CostHelper, Raleigh, North Carolina; bronze flat memorial with vase, includes installation and re-alignment fee. | — | $1,700 | source |
| 2024 | Mississippi | Unknown | HeadstoneWLOX news, the Neff family paid Picayune Monument for their daughter's headstone, Mississippi | — | $2,543quoted $2,543 | source |
| 2017 | Oregon | Unknown | Headstone, granite flat markerReader-submitted cost via CostHelper, Salem, Oregon; granite flat marker sold directly by the cemetery, custom designed. | — | $3,300 | source |
| 2019 | Pennsylvania | Unknown | Headstone, black granite upright with artworkReader-submitted cost via CostHelper, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; black granite upright with carved artwork. | — | $4,177 | source |
| 2019 | Tennessee | Unknown | Headstone, bronze on granite markerReader-submitted cost via CostHelper, Memphis, Tennessee; bronze-on-granite marker with vase. | — | $5,925 | source |
| 2016 | Virginia | Unknown | Headstone, granite upright with vaseReader-submitted cost via CostHelper, Manassas, Virginia; tall granite upright with vase, installation included. | — | $10,000 | source |
| 2020 | Indiana | Unknown | Headstone, granite uprightReader-submitted cost via CostHelper, Warsaw, Indiana; granite upright headstone, 60 by 22 by 44 inches. | — | $10,890 | source |
Common questions
How much does headstone cost in the US?
Across 10 real US prices, the median is $2,922, ranging from $1,000 to $10,890. These are published General Price List figures and bills families actually paid, not estimates.
Why do headstone prices vary so much?
Funeral homes set their own fees, and third-party costs like the cemetery plot or crematory vary by state. A national chain and a local independent can be thousands apart for the same service.
How can I pay less for headstone?
Ask several funeral homes for their General Price List (they must give it to you under the FTC Funeral Rule), compare the basic services fee, consider a direct cremation, and buy your own casket if you want. You are never obliged to accept the first quote.
Related free guides
Methodology: prices here are figures from funeral homes' General Price Lists (required by the FTC Funeral Rule) and bills families reported paying. Each row says which it is, with a link to the source where one exists. We never estimate and no sponsor can touch a number.