The Pool Report

What is the average height for U.S. women?

See the average measured height for U.S. women ages 20 and older.

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63.5″ average measured height for U.S. women ages 20 and older (5′3.5″ or 161 cm).

CDC/NCHS exams from August 2021–August 2023. Staff measured height.

CDC/NCHS FastStats and Anthropometric Reference Data, Table 8

Check the source ↗

CDC staff measured participants during health exams from August 2021–August 2023.

3 sources
WOMEN1 IN 1,593 or rarerMEN1 IN 87View result ↓
Edit filters25–35 years · 6′0″+ · $100,000+ · not married · no current cigarette use

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U.S. and state estimates.

Age range25–35
Minimum height
6′0″ or taller
Minimum annual personal income$100,000 or more
Optional filtersActive filters
Optional filters

Not currently married includes people in unmarried relationships.

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FILTERMEN REMOVED / 0–100%WOMEN REMOVED / 0–100%
Personal incomeCENSUS DATA / COUNTED TOGETHER89%Limited
HeightESTIMATED FROM SEPARATE HEALTH DATA82%Limited
Not currently marriedCENSUS DATA / COUNTED TOGETHER55%Limited
No current cigarette useESTIMATED FROM SEPARATE HEALTH DATA11%Limited
SMALL CHANGES TO TRY

Change one setting for both groups. Marital status stays unchanged.

ONE-STEP CHANGEMENWOMENACTION
Lower height to 5′11″ or tallerChanges only heightADDS56%ADDSLimited
Remove the cigarette-use filterChanges only no current cigarette useADDS12%ADDSLimited
Lower income to $95,000 or moreChanges only personal incomeADDS10%ADDSLimited

Do not add these percentages. Some filters remove the same people. Age sets the group, so it does not appear as a filter you can remove here.

WOMEN1 IN 1,593 or rarerMEN1 IN 87See result

Convert inches to feet

63.5 inches equals 5 feet 3.5 inches.

Compare a height cutoff

Use the calculator to estimate the share above a chosen height. It uses separate height distributions for ages 20–69.

Sources (3)

CDC/NCHS FastStats: Body Measurements

  1. CDC/NCHS FastStats: Body Measurements ↗

    Reports a measured average height of 63.5 inches for U.S. women ages 20 and older and identifies the August 2021–August 2023 source report.

  2. Anthropometric Reference Data, Series 3 Number 50 ↗

    Table 8 gives the adult female sample, mean, standard error, and selected percentiles from August 2021–August 2023 examination data.

  3. CDC Stacks report record ↗

    Confirms the report title, authors, publication date, DOI, and permanent file record.

Common questions

Does height vary by age?

Yes. The CDC reports height by age group. This page’s average includes everyone ages 20 and older.

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Nora Hale writes about looking for love today, from choosing a dating app to wondering why dating feels so hard. She uses research to answer the questions people ask along the way.

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