One of the Worst Places to Die in the U.S. is North Carolina
Ready to kick the bucket? North Carolina is apparently one of the worst states for dying. Here’s the truth: there are no good places to die. According to Policy Genius,…
Ready to kick the bucket? North Carolina is apparently one of the worst states for dying. Here's the truth: there are no good places to die. According to Policy Genius, some states are much worse places to die than others due to a variety of factors.
“But where you live can have major implications on your quality of life when you’re near death, as well as your family’s financial well-being after you pass away,” Elissa Suh said in her piece at PolicyGenius.com. “Being able to easily settle an estate, for example, can benefit everyone during a difficult time.”
The outlet looked at a number of things in ranking the “best” places to die, including:
- Funeral costs
- Funeral services (number of options, etc.)
- Green burial options
- Palliative care (including hospice) options
- Medicare providers
- Deaths at home
- Probate shortcuts (how easy is it to settle your estate after you die)
All in all, North Carolina ranked in the bottom 10 out of 50 states (and D.C.), making it one of the worst states to live in. Funeral home density, green burial options, and Medicare coverage seem to be the biggest negatives for Tar Heels. Right above North Carolina, our BBFs are in South Carolina. I guess dying in the Carolinas is a no-go. New Jersey also made it into the worst states to die in which puts me at a two-for-two in states I've lived in. Guess I need to pick better places to die.
Let's Look at the Top 10 Worst Places to Die
51. Florida
Final score: 30.9%
Funeral costs: $7,667
Funeral home density: 28.4
Green burial: 0.8%
Medicare: 4257
Palliative care: 64.5%
Deaths at home: 29.2%
50. Alaska
Final score: 37.1%
Funeral costs: $9,913
Funeral home density: 17.2
Green burial: 0.0%
Medicare: 14566
Palliative care: 42.9%
Deaths at home: 43.4%
49. Texas
Final score: 38.0%
Funeral costs: $7,148
Funeral home density: 31.3
Green burial: 0.6%
Medicare: 6173
Palliative care: 52.2%
Deaths at home: 33.0%
48. Hawaii
Final score: 38.3%
Funeral costs: $15,203
Funeral home density: 11.8
Green burial: 3.7%
Medicare: 5079
Palliative care: 66.7%
Deaths at home: 37.4%
47. New York
Final score: 38.9%
Funeral costs: $10,355
Funeral home density: 51.7
Green burial: 1.0%
Medicare: 7131
Palliative care: 80.8%
Deaths at home: 29.7%
45. Georgia
Final score: 39.4%
Funeral costs: $6,924
Funeral home density: 37.3
Green burial: 0.7%
Medicare: 7041
Palliative care: 65.0%
Deaths at home: 33.2%
45. New Jersey
Final score: 39.4%
Funeral costs: $9,154
Funeral home density: 49.3
Green burial: 0.6%
Medicare: 7098
Palliative care: 91.8%
Deaths at home: 29.9%
44. North Carolina
Final score: 39.7%
Funeral costs: $7,404
Funeral home density: 45.2
Green burial: 1.9%
Medicare: 6775
Palliative care: 67.6%
Deaths at home: 33.2%
43. South Carolina
Final score: 39.7%
Funeral costs: $7,512
Funeral home density: 46.7
Green burial: 1.7%
Medicare: 5891
Palliative care: 61.4%
Deaths at home: 37.5%
42. Connecticut
Final score: 41.4%
Funeral costs: $9,689
Funeral home density: 56.1
Green burial: 0.6%
Medicare: 7639
Palliative care: 95.8%
Deaths at home: 28.7%
41. Tennessee
Final score: 41.7%
Funeral costs: $6,986
Funeral home density: 53.1
Green burial: 1.0%
Medicare: 6826
Palliative care: 61.7%
Deaths at home: 32.4%
40. Arizona
Final score: 41.7%
Funeral costs: $7,845
Funeral home density: 17.4
Green burial: 1.2%
Medicare: 5175
Palliative care: 79.4%
Deaths at home: 34.7%
