Death in Hawaii the priciest in nation

Hawaii frequently is at the top of “most expensive” lists, and now the Aloha State leads the country when it comes to the cost of dying — with average end-of-life expenses totaling $41,467, a new study says.

Average funeral expenses in 2016 in Hawaii amounted to $14,975, while end-of-life medical costs averaged $26,492, according to the study by GoBankingRates.com, an online personal finance company.

California was the second-­priciest place to die at $32,611, followed by New York, Oregon and Massachusetts.

The cheapest state in which to die was Mississippi, where the cost burden was $18,509, with average funeral expenses totaling $6,684 and medical costs associated with dying at $11,825. Following Mississippi for the cheapest are Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and New Mexico.

Not only do Hawaii residents pay more than twice as much as Mississippi residents for end-of-life expenses, but the company says the state is the most expensive in which to live in America, with island residents paying 88.3% more than the national average.

“(But) nobody wants to die in Mississippi; they want to die in paradise,” said Vita DeCeglio, a company representative. “It’s just going to cost you.”

The study used National Funeral Directors Association data from 2017, with out-of-pocket funeral costs adjusted for 2019 inflation.

COST OF DYING

Most expensive:

Hawaii: $41,467

California: $32,611

New York: $29,902

Oregon: $28,849

Massachusetts: $28,290

Cheapest:

Mississippi: $18,509

Arkansas: $18,681

Oklahoma: $18,702

Missouri: $18,724

New Mexico: $18,810

Source: GoBankingRates.com