New York City is Sold Out of Cemetery Space

We all know that living in New York City is expensive, but recently dying in New York City is becoming prohibitively expensive as well. Due to a lack of graveyard space, virtually no money can secure a final resting place in New York City. Even above-ground mausoleums are charging absurd amounts.

No new cemetery has been established within the last 50 years, but 60,000 New Yorkers continue to die each year. Due to its high value, some people even want to disinter Mom and Dad and sell the graves. Others try to bribe cemetery owners, but there is nothing to bribe them for.  These extreme prices have led to rising numbers of cremations as people opt for a less expensive alternative.

For more information, including the unique ways that cemeteries are coping with the situation, see Marc Santora, City Cemeteries Face Gridlock, N.Y. Times, Aug. 13, 2010.

Special thanks to Jim Hillhouse (WealthCounsel) for bringing this to my attention.