Cemetery Types Compared: Municipal, Private, Religious, Veterans and Green

The main types of cemetery are municipal (run by a city or county), private (a company, nonprofit or family), religious, veterans and military, and natural or green burial grounds. They differ in who owns them, who can be buried there, what markers and decorations they allow, what they cost and which agency oversees them. Veterans cemeteries are usually the lowest-cost option for those who qualify, since VA national cemeteries provide the plot and a headstone at no charge.

What are the main types of cemetery?

This table summarizes the usual differences. Individual cemeteries vary, so treat it as a starting point and ask each one for its written rules and price list.

There is also a separate category of pet cemeteries. See pet cemetery burial.

How do municipal and private cemeteries differ?

A municipal cemetery is owned and run by local government and is usually the least expensive local option. "Private" covers for-profit companies, nonprofit cemetery associations and church-run cemeteries, so it is a wide label.

Pricing shows the gap. The Funeral Consumers Alliance says in many rural areas a small nonprofit cemetery will sell a full-size grave for about $500, while some urban cemeteries, particularly those owned by for-profit companies, charge $5,000 to $10,000 for one. Published 2026 schedules from city cemeteries show:

These are single examples, not national averages. For more detail, read municipal vs private cemetery and cemetery plot costs.

What is a religious cemetery?

A religious cemetery is run by a church, congregation or other faith body. Some are open to anyone, and others limit burial to members. New York's Division of Cemeteries notes that certain cemeteries restrict burial to people of a particular faith. Faith traditions can also affect how a grave is prepared, for example whether a vault is used. The Funeral Consumers Alliance says some religious traditions require burial directly in the earth without a vault and some cemeteries set aside areas for this.

Regulation can also differ. California licenses privately owned and fraternal cemeteries, but says it does not license those operated by religious institutions, cemetery districts or other government entities, the military or Native American tribal organizations. Our guides cover religious cemetery requirements, Catholic cemeteries, Jewish burial requirements and Muslim cemetery requirements.

Veterans and military cemeteries

The VA lists 158 VA-managed national cemeteries and 125 grant-funded cemeteries run by states and tribes. A national cemetery burial includes a gravesite in any VA national cemetery with available space, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a government headstone, marker or medallion, a Presidential Memorial Certificate and a burial flag, all at no charge. Veterans who did not receive a dishonorable discharge, service members who died on duty, spouses and surviving spouses and minor children, or in some cases unmarried adult dependent children, may be eligible.

State and tribal veterans cemeteries are built with VA grants but run by the state or tribe. Eligibility details and fees vary, and the FTC advises contacting your state for specifics. Arlington National Cemetery is separate from the VA system and is run by the US Army, with its own eligibility rules.

The FTC also warns about commercial "veterans' specials", where a free plot for the veteran may be paired with high rates for a spouse's plot and for opening and closing each grave, so compare the total cost. See national cemetery eligibility, state veterans cemeteries and Arlington eligibility.

Natural, conservation and green burial grounds

Green burial skips embalming and burial vaults and uses biodegradable containers. The Green Burial Council certifies three types of burial ground:

• Hybrid cemetery: a section of a conventional cemetery that uses no vaults, requires biodegradable containers and prohibits toxic chemicals.
• Natural cemetery: land set aside only for natural burial, with ecological impact assessments and limits on memorial markers.
• Conservation cemetery: land on an easement or in a land trust, where burial fees fund conservation and ongoing land stewardship.

The Funeral Consumers Alliance describes green burial as a simple, often low-cost choice in a green or natural cemetery or a special section of a conventional one. See natural burial grounds, conservation cemeteries and green burial vs traditional burial.

What are lawn-style, memorial park and above-ground sections?

Many cemeteries mix styles. Some sections are "lawn" or memorial park areas where markers must be flat so mowing equipment can pass. Madison's Forest Hill Cemetery, for example, requires flush markers in some sections and allows upright ones in others. Richmond's fee schedule lists a separate, lower price for its Memorial Park section.

Above-ground options include mausoleum crypts for caskets and columbarium niches for urns. The FTC says that if you place cremated remains in a mausoleum or columbarium, you can expect to buy a crypt and pay opening and closing fees, plus charges for endowment care and other services. See mausoleum burial, columbarium niches and above-ground burial.

Which type fits which situation?

• Budget matters most: compare municipal and small nonprofit cemeteries, and check veterans cemeteries if the person served.
• Faith requirements: start with the faith's own cemetery and ask about eligibility.
• Wanting an upright monument: ask each cemetery what is allowed in the section you want, since rules vary by section.
• Environmental priorities: look for a certified hybrid, natural or conservation ground.
• Cremation: ask about urn plots, niches and scattering gardens. Our guide to cremation plot vs burial plot compares them.

What to do next

1. List which type or types fit your family's needs, then find two or three nearby.
2. Request each cemetery's written price list and rules, and compare the same items side by side.
3. Visit in person before deciding. Our guide to choosing a cemetery gives a checklist.