Peoples Memorial Association (PMA), a consumer group founded in Seattle in 1939 that provides consumer information on the economics of cremation and burial, recently published its 2004 Washington State Funeral Price Survey of funeral homes. Average figures are provided for each county in the survey, allowing local comparisons. Two of seven Kitsap County mortuaries refused to participate.

The 70-page study is being distributed to hospices, nursing homes, senior center and attorneys who advise people on funeral and cremation options. It will be posted on PMA’s website, and an abbreviated version is available to the general public.

The study shows that the average cost of direct cremation of all surveyed funeral homes in Kitsap County is $1,712. Cremations range from $595 (PMA member rate) to $1,795 for what is essentially a commodity – the same no matter where you purchase it.

Locally, a typical funeral package is $3,560 (with the least expensive casket), ranging from a low of $1,525 (PMA member price) to a high of $4,065.

Volunteers collected general price lists from 118 (84 percent) of the 140 funeral homes in 13 western and central Washington counties served by PMA. Funeral homes fall under the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule, meaning that standard unbundled prices must be made available to anyone who asks in person.

There are 257 funeral homes licensed by the state, but some of these licenses are inactive. The state regulator has said that there is substantial excess capacity, especially given the high and rising percentage of cremations in the state (61 percent vs. 28 percent nationally).

For information on researching or planning a funeral or cremation, visit the PMA’s Web site at www.peoplesmemorial.org.