Obituary Cost: US Newspaper Prices Compared (2026)
A US newspaper obituary can start under $100 in some local papers and placement portals, but the realistic final total often climbs into the hundreds once length, a photo, the publication day, an online bundle, or multiple papers are added—and major metro placements can run higher still. Always confirm the final price with the newspaper or placement portal before you approve it.
This guide separates two numbers that often get blurred together: the starting price a newspaper or portal advertises, and the realistic final cost a family actually pays once length, a photo, the publication day, and online bundles are added. Below you'll find durable planning ranges, a small set of current verified prices, what drives the total, and a practical plan to keep the bill down.
Starting price is not final cost. A "starting at" or "from" figure is the minimum entry price for a short notice—not a quote for a full obituary. Use public prices as planning signals, not final numbers.
Your final cost depends on:
- Length of the obituary text (line, inch, or word count)
- Market and readership of the newspaper
- Photo (a fixed fee and/or extra layout size)
- Publication date (weekend and Sunday premiums)
- Print + online bundle requirements
- Proof and layout adjustments before approval
Always confirm the final proof and final price with the newspaper before you approve the charge.
Quick glossary: obituary vs. death notice
Newspapers price these differently, so the wording affects what you pay:
- An obituary is usually longer and biographical—and priced for the extra length.
- A death notice is brief and factual, and is often the cheaper way to announce a death in print.
A common money-saving move is to publish a short death notice in print and put the full obituary online, where length isn't charged like print space.
Typical newspaper obituary cost ranges (planning ranges, not averages)
These are planning ranges to help you budget, not guaranteed quotes. A single "national average" is misleading because the same obituary can cost very different amounts depending on the paper and the length.
| Newspaper type | Planning range (USD) | What's usually included |
|---|---|---|
| Small / local papers | $50–$200 | Short notice; limited photo options; online posting sometimes included |
| Mid-size regional papers | $200–$500 | Wider circulation; add-ons often raise the total |
| Major metro papers | $400–$1,000 | Higher per-line rates; stricter formats and deadlines |
| Top-tier metros (e.g., NYC, LA) | $800–$2,000+ | Premium rates; photos and placement can be costly |
Current sample prices (verified June–July 2026)
The table below is a small, dated sample of starting prices taken from current newspaper placement pages on June 30 and July 3, 2026. It is not a national average and not a list of typical final costs—it's here to show the spread between lower-cost regional papers and high-cost major metros, and to make one point clear: these are entry prices. Papers also differ in how much they publish up front: some advertise a portal starting price, others reveal pricing only inside the ordering flow.
| Newspaper / market | Public price signal | What kind of price this is | Check current price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Chronicle — Houston, TX | $36.50 | Portal starting price (print + Legacy.com memorial) | Legacy.com |
| Detroit Free Press — Detroit, MI | $50 | Portal starting price (print + Legacy.com memorial) | Legacy.com |
| The Arizona Republic — Phoenix, AZ | $85 | Portal starting price (print + Legacy.com memorial) | Legacy.com |
| The Boston Globe — Boston, MA | $168.85 | Portal starting price (print + Legacy.com memorial) | Legacy.com |
| Los Angeles Times — Los Angeles, CA | $205 | Portal starting price (print + Legacy.com memorial) | Legacy.com |
| The Seattle Times — Seattle, WA | $366.45 | Newspaper's own portal starting price (obituary notice) | seattletimes.com |
| San Francisco Chronicle — San Francisco, CA | $399 | Portal starting price (print + Legacy.com memorial) | Legacy.com |
| The Washington Post — Washington, DC | $475 | Portal starting price (print + Legacy.com memorial) | Legacy.com |
| Chicago Tribune — Chicago, IL | Not published | Quote required — package pricing appears in the paper's own ad portal | placeanad.chicagotribune.com |
| The New York Times — New York, NY | Not published | Quote required — pricing appears in the Legacy.com placement flow | Legacy.com |
Starting prices retrieved from Legacy.com placement pages (June 30, 2026) and newspaper-run portals (July 3, 2026). Prices change frequently—use the "check current price" link to confirm before submitting.
Read the Houston example carefully. A $36.50 Houston Chronicle starting price is the entry point for a short notice—not what a family usually pays for a full obituary once length, a photo, and an online bundle are added. The same is true of every figure above. Treat them as planning signals and confirm the final quote for your actual text and dates.
What about other major papers? Most other large metros—the Philadelphia Inquirer, Dallas Morning News, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Miami Herald, and Minneapolis Star Tribune—publish little or no rate information up front; you see the exact price in the placement flow (usually via Legacy.com) once you've entered your text and dates. For budgeting, use the major-metro planning range above, and expect top-tier papers such as The New York Times to sit at the high end of it.
What drives the final price
1) Length (lines, inches, or words)
Most newspapers price by the line, inch, or word. Typical per-line pricing runs about $5–$15, though large metro papers can charge $50+ per line. An "inch" is roughly 10–14 lines. What counts as a "line" varies—some papers fit only 25–30 characters per line—so a long life story costs far more than a short death notice.
2) Photo
- A black-and-white photo fee typically runs $50–$200; color can add 50–100% more.
- A photo also increases the layout size, which adds to the line or inch charge.
- Some portals allow several photos but may charge additional lineage for each.
3) Publication day
Sunday and weekend editions often carry premiums of 20–50% because readership is higher. Deadlines are tight—commonly 1–2 days before publication—so coordinate early.
4) Print + online bundles
Some papers require a print + online package (often via a partner like Legacy.com). Ask what's included, how long the online posting stays up, and whether a lower-priced digital-only option exists.
5) Multiple newspapers
Families with ties to more than one community sometimes place the notice in two or more papers, which multiplies the cost. Decide which paper actually reaches the people you need to reach.
6) Deadlines and proofing
Build in time to review the proof—spelling, dates, service details, donation links—and to confirm the final charge before publication. The first quote is an estimate until you approve the final proof.
A quick way to estimate
Estimated cost = (lines × per-line rate) + photo fee + premiums (Sunday / online)
Example:
- 15 lines × $10/line = $150
- 1 B&W photo = $100
- Online posting fee = $110
- Sunday premium (+25%) = $90
- Estimated total: $450
Tip: If you're unsure how long your draft will run, ask the newspaper to format it and confirm the exact line count and price before you approve the charge.
Newspaper vs. Legacy vs. online obituary
Families often confuse three different things. Here's how they compare on cost and purpose, so you can pick the one that fits—print still has a real use case, and Legacy is genuinely useful in some situations.
| Option | Public price signal | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Newspaper placement (often via Legacy.com) | Starting prices ~$36.50–$475, before length, photos, extra days, or multiple papers | When local print reach matters—older community members, a long public life in one city. Every newspaper order also includes a Legacy.com memorial. |
| Legacy Online Obituary (online-only) | $149 for a standard online obituary | When Legacy.com discovery matters but print does not. Includes unlimited text and photos, an interactive memorial page, and an optional guestbook. |
| obituary.design | $29 for one year; optional renewal currently $29 per additional year | When the family mainly needs a respectful, shareable page: public or private link, condolence book, and a downloadable PDF/image—at a lower cost than most print or Legacy listings. |
Create your online obituary for $29. Design a professional, shareable obituary in minutes and reach family anywhere in the world.
- Step-by-step visual designer (no design skills needed)
- Upload multiple photos and customize the layout
- A unique shareable URL—public, or private by link
- Built-in condolence and guest book
- High-resolution PDF download for printing programs or keepsakes
- Share instantly via Facebook, WhatsApp, or email
For a deeper comparison, see Online Obituaries vs. Newspaper: Which Is Right for You?
A practical plan to keep the cost down
This is the most useful thing on this page. It keeps print spending where it counts and puts the full tribute where length is free.
- Write a short newspaper death notice first. Include the full name, age, city, date of death, and service details—nothing more than print needs.
- Put the full life story online. Add photos, the biography, service information, donation links, and a place for condolences.
- Include the online obituary link in the newspaper notice so readers can find the full tribute.
- Use the newspaper only where print readership genuinely matters—for example, an older community that still reads the local paper.
- Ask for the final proof and final price before you approve. Confirm the line count, photo fee, publication dates, and total.
Need a starting point for the text? Browse our free obituary templates and obituary examples.
Short checklist before you pay
- Full name and correct spelling
- Dates and age
- Service details and time zone
- Photo crop and photo fee
- Publication date or dates
- Whether online posting is included, and for how long
- Final proof reviewed
- Final price and receipt
Conclusion: choosing the right option for your family
Newspaper obituary costs vary widely, and small choices—length, a photo, the publication day—can raise the total by hundreds of dollars. A printed notice can still make sense when local print reach matters, but it's no longer the only option.
A simple decision rule:
- Choose newspaper placement when local print reach matters.
- Choose online-only when direct sharing, lower cost, and a fuller tribute matter more.
- Use both when needed: a short print notice that points readers to the full online obituary.
You can create a professional online obituary with obituary.design for $29, share it anywhere via a unique link, and download a high-resolution PDF for printing memorial programs or keepsakes.
Additional Resources
Sources
Public-facing prices below were retrieved on June 30 and July 3, 2026 from current newspaper placement pages and newspaper-run portals. Newspaper rates change often—confirm the final price with the paper or portal before you submit.
- Legacy.com, Houston Chronicle obituary placement and cost. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- Legacy.com, Detroit Free Press obituary placement and cost. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- Legacy.com, The Arizona Republic obituary placement and cost. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- Legacy.com, The Boston Globe obituary placement and cost. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- Legacy.com, Los Angeles Times obituary placement and cost. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- Legacy.com, San Francisco Chronicle obituary placement and cost. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- Legacy.com, The Washington Post obituary placement and cost. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- The Seattle Times, obituary placement portal (obituary notice starting price). Retrieved July 3, 2026.
- Chicago Tribune, place-an-ad portal (pricing shown during ordering). Retrieved July 3, 2026.
- Legacy.com, The New York Times obituary placement (pricing shown in placement flow). Link checked July 3, 2026.
- Legacy.com, How Much Does an Obituary Cost? ($149 standard online obituary when checked July 25, 2026).
- Federal Trade Commission, The FTC Funeral Rule (funeral-home cost context). Retrieved June 30, 2026.