Average Height By State 2023: Tallest And Shortest States


Using data from the CDC, we found the tallest and shortest states. Keep reading to see a breakdown of the tallest and shortest states for both men and women, as well as how all states measure up.

Average Height By State In The United States Heat Map

Summary

  • The average male height for a man in the US is 5’9″ (175.4 cm).

  • The average height for a woman in the US is 5’4″ (164 cm), 5 inches shorter than the average man.

  • The tallest state for men is Montana; Utah is home to the tallest women.

  • Hawaii is the shortest state for both men and women.

  • Midwestern states as a region are taller than other areas of the country.

With an average height for men of 5’9 and women of 5’4″, the United States is not the tallest country by far. While the average height for men at 5’9 (175.4 cm) might seem respectable, it is dwarfed by taller countries such as the Netherlands where the average man towers at 6′. Ultimately, height is determined from a variety of factors, including genetics and nutrition. Due to this, average heights diverge based on location. In the US, that means average height can differ quite a bit between states.

Using data from the CDC, we found the tallest and shortest states. Keep reading to see a breakdown of the tallest and shortest states for both men and women, as well as how all states measure up.

Tallest States In The US

  1. Montana
  2. Utah
  3. Iowa
  4. Idaho
  5. Minnesota
  6. Nebraska
  7. Colorado
  8. South Dakota
  9. North Dakota
  10. Oregon

Montana is the tallest state. In general, Western and Midwestern states dominate the top 10.

Shortest States In The US

  1. Hawaii
  2. New Mexico
  3. Rhode Island
  4. Maine
  5. New York
  6. New Hampshire
  7. Connecticut
  8. Texas
  9. Arkansas
  10. Delaware

The shortest state is Hawaii. The average Hawaiian man is only 5’7″ compared to Montana where the average man is almost 5’10”. 6 Eastern states are among the 10 shortest. One interesting exception? Texas. Guess not -everything- is bigger in Texas.

Methodology

Our data comes from the most recent CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) report. The CDC surveyed 450,000 people, asking them an array of questions including height, weight, eating habits, and physical activity level to track state level trends.

These numbers are self reported and did not involve physical measurement of participants. However, studies find that self reported height is usually only 1.18 inches less than actual height. This, combined with such a large sample size, make the BRFSS survey the best, most accurate data available for measuring average height in each state.

To find the average, we simply averaged the overall heights for men and women in each state together. The more inches on average, the taller the state and vice versa.

Each state’s height is presented in feet and inches for readability purposes,. From there we simply determined which states had the highest and lowest average in each category, using the data to create the map, table, and lists displayed here.

Average Height In Each State

Rank State Men’s Height Women’s Height
1 Montana 5.889 5.390
2 Utah 5.886 5.391
3 Iowa 5.883 5.382
4 Idaho 5.877 5.381
5 Minnesota 5.871 5.382
6 Nebraska 5.884 5.387
7 Colorado 5.861 5.371
8 South Dakota 5.888 5.390
9 North Dakota 5.871 5.372
10 Oregon 5.860 5.382
11 Nevada 5.864 5.366
12 Kansas 5.881 5.372
13 Wisconsin 5.860 5.375
14 Illinois 5.858 5.386
15 Washington 5.863 5.367
16 Alaska 5.836 5.368
17 Kentucky 5.866 5.363
18 Pennsylvania 5.851 5.348
19 Wyoming 5.872 5.369
20 Missouri 5.865 5.371
21 Tennessee 5.866 5.365
22 District of Columbia 5.850 5.374
23 North Carolina 5.847 5.368
24 Ohio 5.855 5.359
25 Arizona 5.842 5.357
26 Virginia 5.853 5.361
27 Indiana 5.855 5.354
28 South Carolina 5.859 5.360
29 Alabama 5.878 5.375
30 Maryland 5.846 5.357
31 Oklahoma 5.864 5.363
32 Georgia 5.852 5.358
33 Louisiana 5.841 5.349
34 Michigan 5.856 5.348
35 West Virginia 5.858 5.349
36 New Jersey 5.813 5.339
37 Massachusetts 5.829 5.348
38 Vermont 5.836 5.353
39 Mississippi 5.867 5.372
40 California 5.799 5.346
41 Florida 5.832 5.348
42 Delaware 5.832 5.352
43 Arkansas 5.848 5.357
44 Texas 5.814 5.326
45 Connecticut 5.814 5.340
46 New Hampshire 5.833 5.335
47 New York 5.811 5.342
48 Maine 5.837 5.351
49 Rhode Island 5.810 5.318
50 New Mexico 5.808 5.307
51 Hawaii 5.748 5.288

Average United States Height FAQ

Which state has the tallest average height?

Montana is the tallest state with an average male height of 5’9″ and female height of 5’4″.

What is the average height for a man in the US?

The average male height for a man in the US is 5’9″ (175.4 cm).

What is the average height for a woman in the US?

The average height for a woman in the US is 5’4″ (164 cm), 5 inches shorter than the average man.

What is the shortest state?

The shortest state for both men and women is Hawaii.

What is the average height in the US?

The average male height for a man in the US is 5’9″ (175.4 cm). The average height for a woman in the US is 5’4″ (164 cm), 5 inches shorter than the average man.

What race has the highest average height?

According to the CDC, white men have an average height of 5’10”, followed by Black men at 5’9”. Both Asian and Hispanic men have an average height of 5’7″.

References

  1. CDC – 2020 BRFSS Survey Data and Documentation

  2. Central Alabama Wellness

  3. National Library of Medicine

  4. Washington Post

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About Kathy Morris

Kathy analyzes data daily to monitor, evaluate, and optimize campaign performance to meet ROI objectives. Good data is better than a crystal ball; When data is paired with creative, innovative solutions, anything is possible.