See the estimated share of U.S. men who are at least 6 feet tall and have at least $100,000 in annual personal income. Both cutoffs include the exact value.
By Nora Hale3.6% of U.S. men ages 20–69 are estimated at 6′0″ or taller with $100,000+ in personal income (about 1 in 27).
About 3.9M of 107.8M men, by our arithmetic. Income comes from Census records; height comes from CDC measurements for the same ages.
2024 U.S. Census ACS 1-year PUMS + CDC/NCHS 2021–2023 measured height microdata
Check the source ↗The estimate combines 2024 Census income records with CDC height measurements from August 2021–August 2023.
3 sources| Age | 6′0″ or taller | Income $100,000+ | Both | About | Both, not currently married |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20–24 | 19.2% | 1.6% | 0.3% | 1 in 334 | 0.3% |
| 25–29 | 19.2% | 10.3% | 2.0% | 1 in 50 | 1.3% |
| 30–34 | 17.8% | 18.7% | 3.3% | 1 in 29 | 1.3% |
| 35–39 | 17.8% | 26.3% | 4.7% | 1 in 21 | 1.2% |
| 40–49 | 21.2% | 30.1% | 6.4% | 1 in 15 | 1.2% |
| 50–59 | 11.4% | 30.4% | 3.4% | 1 in 29 | 0.7% |
| 60–69 | 13.5% | 22.1% | 3.0% | 1 in 33 | 0.6% |
| 20–29 | 19.2% | 5.9% | 1.1% | 1 in 88 | 0.8% |
Our arithmetic. Age, income, and marital status come from weighted 2024 ACS 1-year PUMS person records. The height share comes from CDC measurements taken August 2021–August 2023 for the same age decade. The two surveys counted different people, so within each age group we treat height and income as unrelated; if they are related, the true share differs. Every percentage is a share of all men in the age group. The 20–29 row combines the 20–24 and 25–29 rows.
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We show filter effects only for a group with an exact point estimate. The other group stays marked as limited until its result supports an exact estimate.
Change one setting for both groups. Marital status stays unchanged.
On social media, the 6-6-6 rule usually describes a partner who is 6 feet tall and earns six figures, and the third six changes from one version to the next. It is advice, and no survey has measured how it works out for anyone. We can count the first two sixes. The third falls outside the Census and CDC records the calculator uses.
A post circulating on Threads says 14% of adult men are over 6 feet and 17% make over $100,000, and puts the combined share at 2.3%. It does not name a source or say which ages it counted, so we cannot trace its inputs. For men ages 20–69, we estimate that 16.8% are at least 6 feet tall from CDC measurements taken in 2021–2023, and 2024 Census records show 21.9% with $100,000 or more in personal income. Multiplying those two shares gives about 3.7%, by our arithmetic. Our 3.6% multiplies them within each age group and adds the results, which lands a little lower because the two shares do not move together with age. Men in their 20s are among the most likely to be 6 feet tall and the least likely to earn $100,000. Men in their 50s are about as likely as men in their 40s to earn it and the least likely to be 6 feet tall. Both figures assume height and income are unrelated within an age group.
In the CDC measurements, the share of men at 6 feet or taller changes little from the 20s through the 40s. The share with $100,000 or more in Census records rises steeply over the same years. So the two cutoffs together are rare in the early 20s and most common in the 40s, as the table shows.
Income, age, and marital status come from the same 2024 Census person records. Height comes from men the CDC measured during health exams. The two surveys counted different people, so within each age group we treat height and income as unrelated. If they are related, the true share differs from our estimate.
Six figures means one person’s annual income from all reported sources, at $100,000 or more. The age group includes men who are not employed. Household income combines everyone who shares a home, so it answers a different question.
2024 ACS 1-year Public Use Microdata Sample
U.S. Census Bureau person records with age, sex, marital status, and personal income, weighted to represent the population. We add up the weights.
CDC/NCHS exam records with measured standing height. We use them to estimate the share of men at 72 inches or taller in each age decade.
CDC/NCHS report on the same August 2021–August 2023 exam data, with measured height for U.S. adults.
About 3.6% of U.S. men ages 20–69, or about 1 in 27, by our arithmetic on 2024 Census income records and 2021–2023 CDC height measurements. The share is lower for men in their 20s.
Yes. The estimate uses a minimum height of 72 inches and a minimum income of $100,000, so both exact values count.
About 0.9% of U.S. men ages 20–69, or about 1 in 110, by our estimate from 2024 Census records and 2021–2023 CDC measurements. Not currently married includes never married, divorced, separated, and widowed men, so some of them are in a relationship. The calculator uses marital status only, so it cannot show who is dating or anyone’s sexual orientation.
Yes. The calculator on this page starts at 6 feet and $100,000. Add an age range, a state, or not currently married to see a smaller group.
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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