Healthy Weight Range by Height (CDC BMI Method) — 2026

A healthy weight range for a given height is not a single magic number. It is the band of weights that corresponds to a Body Mass Index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9, the range the CDC and WHO classify as healthy weight for adults. Because BMI is calculated from height and weight, every height maps to a low and high weight that bracket this band. The result is a range, not a point, which is why most height-based charts show a span such as 125 to 169 pounds rather than one target.

Read this range as a screening reference, not a personal health verdict. Two people at the same height can land in the same weight band yet have very different bodies, because BMI does not distinguish muscle from fat and says nothing about where fat is stored. The CDC frames BMI as a starting point for population-level screening, and the healthy-weight range should be read the same way.

BMI equals weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. To turn the healthy-weight band into actual weights, solve that formula for weight at the two boundary BMIs. In metric units the lower bound is 18.5 times height in meters squared, and the upper bound is 24.9 times height in meters squared.

In imperial units the formula uses a 703 conversion factor: the lower bound equals 18.5 divided by 703 times height in inches squared, and the upper bound equals 24.9 divided by 703 times height in inches squared. Both methods give the same answer; the conversion only accounts for pounds and inches instead of kilograms and meters.

Using the imperial formula above, here are the healthy-weight bands (BMI 18.5 to 24.9) for a few common adult heights. These are screening ranges for adults aged 20 and older and apply regardless of sex.

• 5 feet 0 inches (60 in): about 95 to 128 lb (43 to 58 kg)
• 5 feet 4 inches (64 in): about 108 to 145 lb (49 to 66 kg)
• 5 feet 8 inches (68 in): about 122 to 164 lb (55 to 74 kg)
• 5 feet 9 inches (69 in): about 125 to 169 lb (57 to 77 kg)
• 5 feet 10 inches (70 in): about 129 to 174 lb (59 to 79 kg)
• 6 feet 0 inches (72 in): about 136 to 184 lb (62 to 83 kg)
• 6 feet 2 inches (74 in): about 144 to 194 lb (65 to 88 kg)
• Heights in between follow the same curve; a calculator applies the formula to your exact height.

Take an adult who is 5 feet 9 inches tall (69 inches). Height squared is 4,761 square inches. At the lower BMI boundary of 18.5 the weight is 18.5 times 4,761 divided by 703, which is about 125 pounds. At the upper boundary of 24.9 the weight is 24.9 times 4,761 divided by 703, which is about 169 pounds. So for that height the healthy-weight reference band is roughly 125 to 169 pounds. A person at 150 pounds with that height has a BMI near 22, squarely inside the band.

The same steps work for any height, which is why an online healthy-weight calculator simply asks for height and returns the band automatically instead of relying on a fixed lookup table.

The CDC and WHO use identical adult BMI cut points for men and women. Men and women do differ on average in muscle mass and fat distribution, and women naturally carry more body fat for hormonal and reproductive health, but the screening thresholds themselves are the same. That is why the height-based healthy-weight table above is not split by sex. Body-fat percentage and waist circumference are the tools that add the sex-specific detail BMI lacks.

These bands are for non-pregnant adults aged 20 and older. For children and teens aged 2 to 19, BMI is interpreted with CDC growth charts as a BMI-for-age percentile compared with peers of the same age and sex, so a fixed height-weight table does not apply. During pregnancy, weight gain is guided by pre-pregnancy BMI using Institute of Medicine ranges, not by a healthy-weight band.

Older adults are sometimes discussed separately: some research suggests a slightly higher BMI, roughly 25 to 27, may be associated with lower mortality in people over 65, but the CDC has not changed its official adult thresholds. Trained athletes may sit above the band because muscle adds weight without adding fat, and older adults may sit inside the band yet carry excess fat if muscle has been lost. Waist circumference and, where useful, body-fat assessment add context the range alone cannot provide.

A healthy-weight range is most useful as one input among several. Pair it with waist circumference (the NIH flags higher risk above 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women) and, if available, body-fat percentage, so you are tracking both how much you weigh and where the weight sits. Used together, these give a far clearer picture than the scale or a single height-based number.

If your weight is outside the band and you are unsure why, or if you have a medical condition, a clinician or registered dietitian can interpret the numbers in the context of your overall health.

This article summarizes publicly documented standards from the following official sources. All sources were retrieved on 2026-08-15.

• CDC — About Adult BMI: https://www.cdc.gov/bmi/index.html
• CDC — Adult BMI Categories: https://www.cdc.gov/bmi/adult-calculator/bmi-categories.html
• NIH (NHLBI) — Aim for a Healthy Weight: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/heart-healthy-living/healthy-weight
• WHO — Obesity and overweight fact sheet: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight