Is 5'8 Tall for a Woman?

How 5'8 Compares to US Adult Women

For US females aged 20 and older, adult height follows a roughly bell-shaped distribution centered near 5'4" (162 cm), according to CDC/NCHS NHANES body-measure data. Comparing any specific height to this reference population gives a clear, data-backed answer.

At 5'8" (173 cm), a woman is well above average—the 95th percentile. Only about 5% of US adult women are this tall or taller. This height is firmly in the tall range by both statistical and social standards.

What Percentile Is 5'8" for a Woman?

Using NHANES-based height distributions, 5'8" (173 cm) corresponds to approximately the 95th percentile for US adult females. A percentile tells you what share of the reference population is shorter than you.

Heights at the 95th percentile are relatively uncommon among women. The median is about 5'4" (162 cm), so 5'8" is 8 inches above that midpoint—clearly tall for a US woman.

What "Above or Below Average" Really Means

"Average" adult female height in the US is about 5'4", but average is not the same as typical range. Most women cluster within a few inches of the mean—roughly 5'2" to 5'6" covers a large share of the population (approximately the 16th to 84th percentiles).

At 5'8", a woman sits well above that central cluster. Social perceptions of "tall" for women often kick in around the 80th–90th percentile (roughly 5'6"–5'7"), and 5'8" exceeds that threshold comfortably.

Note that women's height distributions differ from men's—the average US woman (5'4") is about 5 inches shorter than the average US man (5'9"). Comparing a woman's height to other women, not men, is the correct reference frame.

Data source: CDC/NCHS NHANES Body Measures (adults ≥20 years). Methodology aligns with our percentile calculator methodology.