Guide Rankings Demographics Updated June 21, 2026

Average Height by State

Group of adults standing together outdoors

Average Height by State

Ranking - Demographics

Average adult height varies only modestly across states, but clear regional patterns still show up in the data. Northern Plains and Mountain states cluster near the top, while Hawaii and the Southwest sit lower.

Quick Answer

Average Height by State

  1. 1

    Montana men average 5'10.7", the tallest in the country. South Dakota ties that mark. Utah and Montana share the women's lead at 5'4.7".

  2. 2

    Hawaii ranks last for both. Men average 5'9.0" there, women 5'3.5". The spread from Montana to Hawaii is 1.7 inches for men and 1.2 inches for women.

  3. 3

    Utah places third for men at 5'10.6" and ties Montana for women at 5'4.7". No other state ranks in the top three for both.

Map

Average Height by U.S. State Map

in (men)
No data
Montana (#1) leads with men at 5'10.7". Hawaii (#50) sits 0.6 inches below California (#49) at 5'9.0", the largest single-step drop in the table. Northern Plains states shade darkest.
Average Height by U.S. State Map
Rank State in (men)
1 Montana 70.67
2 South Dakota 70.66
3 Utah 70.63
4 Nebraska 70.61
5 Iowa 70.6
6 Kansas 70.57
7 Alabama 70.54
8 Idaho 70.52
9 Wyoming 70.46
10 Minnesota 70.45
11 North Dakota 70.45
12 Mississippi 70.4
13 Kentucky 70.39
14 Tennessee 70.39
15 Missouri 70.38
16 Nevada 70.37
17 Oklahoma 70.37
18 Washington 70.36
19 Colorado 70.33
20 Oregon 70.32
21 Wisconsin 70.32
22 South Carolina 70.31
23 Illinois 70.3
24 West Virginia 70.3
25 Michigan 70.27
26 Indiana 70.26
27 Ohio 70.26
28 Virginia 70.24
29 Georgia 70.22
30 Pennsylvania 70.21
31 Arkansas 70.18
32 North Carolina 70.16
33 Maryland 70.15
34 Arizona 70.1
35 Louisiana 70.09
36 Maine 70.04
37 Alaska 70.03
38 Vermont 70.03
39 New Hampshire 70
40 Delaware 69.98
41 Florida 69.98
42 Massachusetts 69.95
43 Connecticut 69.77
44 Texas 69.77
45 New Jersey 69.76
46 New York 69.73
47 Rhode Island 69.72
48 New Mexico 69.7
49 California 69.59
50 Hawaii 68.98

Montana (#1) leads with men at 5'10.7". Hawaii (#50) sits 0.6 inches below California (#49) at 5'9.0", the largest single-step drop in the table. Northern Plains states shade darkest.

Average Height by State Table

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Tallest and Shortest U.S. States by Average Height

Highest

70.668
Montana flag
Montana #1

Lowest

68.976
Hawaii flag
Hawaii #50

Top 10 Highest — Men (in)

#1 Montana flag Montana
70.668
#2 South Dakota flag South Dakota
70.656
#3 Utah flag Utah
70.632
#4 Nebraska flag Nebraska
70.608
#5 Iowa flag Iowa
70.596
#6 Kansas flag Kansas
70.572
#7 Alabama flag Alabama
70.536
#8 Idaho flag Idaho
70.524
#9 Wyoming flag Wyoming
70.464
#10 Minnesota flag Minnesota
70.452

Top 10 Lowest — Men (in)

#50 Hawaii flag Hawaii
68.976
#49 California flag California
69.588
#48 New Mexico flag New Mexico
69.696
#47 Rhode Island flag Rhode Island
69.720
#46 New York flag New York
69.732
#45 New Jersey flag New Jersey
69.756
#44 Texas flag Texas
69.768
#43 Connecticut flag Connecticut
69.768
#42 Massachusetts flag Massachusetts
69.948
#41 Florida flag Florida
69.984

States with the Tallest Average Height

Tall adults walking together on a city street
Montana, South Dakota, and Utah lead the ranking, with men averaging around 5'10.6\" to 5'10.7\". The tallest states are concentrated in the Northern Plains and Mountain West rather than on the coasts.

Montana leads at 5'10.7", followed by South Dakota at 5'10.7". Both sit above Utah (#3) at 5'10.6". All 11 states in ranks 1 through 11 average 5'10.4" or above for men.

For women the top state shifts. Utah leads at 5'4.7", with Montana and South Dakota 0.012 inches behind at the same value. Nebraska (#4 for men) and Idaho (#8) also rank in the women's top nine.

State with the Shortest Average Height

People walking along a beach promenade in Hawaii
Hawaii stands apart at the bottom of the table, with the lowest average male and female height in the country. Its 0.612-inch drop below California is the largest single-step gap between adjacent states in the ranking.

Hawaii ranks last with men at 5'9.0" and women at 5'3.5". California (#49) has men at 5'9.6", placing Hawaii 0.612 inches below the next-lowest state. That drop is the widest between any two adjacent ranks in the table.

The total spread from Montana (#1) to Hawaii (#50) is 1.7 inches for men and 1.2 inches for women. New Mexico (#48 at 5'9.7") and California (#49 at 5'9.6") are the only other states with men averaging below 5'9.7".

Quick Answers

Which state has the tallest average height for men?
Montana ranks first at 5'10.7" per CDC BRFSS 2017. All 11 states in ranks 1 through 11 average 5'10.4" or above. South Dakota is 0.012 inches behind Montana at 5'10.7", and Utah is third at 5'10.6".
Which state has the tallest average height for women?
Utah leads for women at 5'4.7", 0.012 inches ahead of Montana and South Dakota. Nebraska (#4 overall) ranks fourth for women at 5'4.6".
Which state has the shortest average height?
Hawaii ranks 50th. The 0.612-inch gap between California (#49 at 5'9.6") and Hawaii (#50 at 5'9.0") is the widest between any two consecutive ranks in the table. For women, Hawaii (5'3.5") sits 1.2 inches below Utah (#1).
What is the average height in Texas?
Texas ranks 44th. Men average 5'9.8" and women 5'3.9".
What is the average height in California?
California ranks 49th with men at 5'9.6" and women at 5'4.2". It is the second-shortest state for men, above only Hawaii.
How much does average height vary from state to state?
The range is 1.7 inches for men, from 5'9.0" in Hawaii to 5'10.7" in Montana. For women the spread is 1.2 inches, from 5'3.5" in Hawaii to 5'4.7" in Utah and Montana. Most states cluster within 0.5 inches of each other.

Methodology

Data comes from the CDC BRFSS 2017, a telephone survey of approximately 450,000 adults. Heights are self-reported and consistent across all 50 states, making cross-state comparisons valid.

Sources

Information is cross-referenced with official state archives.
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