In 2015, cremation numbers were expected to surpass in-ground burial for the first time in America. The economic conditions, philosophical outlook of the American people, and more all contributed to cremation's rapid rise and takeover. Here are five reasons why cremation is becoming the most popular funeral arrangement in the country.

1. Affordability

Rates are much lower for a basic cremation service than for a traditional in-ground burial. While this isn't enough to make cremation the preeminent form of funeral in the US on its own (there are other budget-friendly options as well, including "natural" in-ground burials), it's certainly a factor.

2. Availability

Cremation's increasing popularity has caused more cremation-friendly funeral homes to spring up, which has in turn made it more available to the general populace in a self-perpetuating cycle of increasing popularity. While cremation didn't start out being readily available to anyone, it's certainly more easily accessible now than, say, a sea burial or alkaline hydrolysis, two of the other alternatives to in-ground burial.

3. Environmental friendliness

Cremation has long been touted as the greener funeral arrangement. While there are some newly developed methods that may be more eco-friendly than cremation, some of them are only arguably so and others aren't available to the public yet. This means that cremation is often the best option available to those looking to avoid a traditional in-ground burial for any reason.

4. Philosophical views

One of the things that kept cremation from becoming this popular decades ago was the large number of people in the country who didn't consider it an option for religious reasons. An increasing number of Americans today don't have this issue, which increases the potential target audience that cremation can be marketed to.

5. Variety of options

Cremation caters to people who want to keep their loved ones' remains close by forever. But it provides equal opportunities to those who want to set their loved ones free by scattering their ashes to the winds. And those who prefer the permanent memorial of a headstone can simply bury the cremation urn in a small plot of ground with a headstone over it. By offering so many options, cremation manages to recommend itself to a wide variety of people.

These five factors combine to make cremation an unassailably popular choice among Americans today. The same statistics that show cremation numbers overtaking in-ground burial numbers also predict that cremation will become the principal type of funeral arrangement within the next couple of decades. And unless a revolutionary new method displaces it, this may well happen.

For more information on cremation or other funeral options, talk with a funeral home, such as Clark Funeral Home Inc, directly.