Being 5'9" as a woman is a bit of a genetic wildcard. You’re tall. You're taller than about 95% of the female population in the U.S., which means the "standard" advice you find in magazines or generic health apps often feels like it was written for someone a foot shorter than you. It’s frustrating. You step on a scale, see a number that would be considered high for your shorter friends, and suddenly you’re spiraling. But here’s the thing: that number doesn't mean what you think it means.
If you’re looking for a quick, "correct" number for the average weight for a 5'9 woman, the CDC actually keeps tabs on this stuff. According to their most recent Anthropometric Reference Data, the mean weight for an adult woman in the United States is around 170.8 pounds. But that is just a mathematical average of everyone. It doesn't account for your specific frame, your muscle mass, or whether you’re a former college athlete or someone who prefers a book to a barbell.
The truth is messier.
Why the BMI Scale is Kinda Broken for Tall Women
Let's talk about the Body Mass Index (BMI). It’s that calculation everyone loves to hate. For a woman who is 5'9", the "normal" BMI range is roughly between 125 and 169 pounds.
That’s a 44-pound gap.
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It’s huge. It’s also often wrong for tall people. Quetelet, the guy who invented the BMI in the 1830s, was a mathematician, not a doctor. He even said it wasn't meant to measure individual health. Because height is squared in the formula, it tends to over-diagnose tall people as "overweight" even if they’re just naturally sturdy.
If you have a large frame—what doctors call "large bone structure"—trying to hit 130 pounds might make you look and feel incredibly gaunt. Your ribs might poke out. Your energy might tank. On the flip side, someone with a very petite, narrow frame at 5'9" might feel perfectly healthy at 135. Context is everything.
The Reality of Frame Size and Muscle
Most people forget that bone weighs something. If you have wide shoulders and broad hips, your skeleton literally weighs more than someone with narrow features. This isn't an excuse; it's basic physics.
Take a look at athletes. A 5'9" professional CrossFit athlete might weigh 175 pounds. By the "standard" charts, she’s borderline overweight. In reality? She’s mostly lean tissue. Muscle is much denser than fat. It takes up less space but moves the needle on the scale significantly. This is why "average" is a dangerous word. It’s a middle point in a sea of outliers.
When we talk about the average weight for a 5'9 woman, we have to look at the "ideal" weight vs. the "actual" weight. In clinical settings, the Hamwi method is sometimes used. It suggests 100 pounds for the first 5 feet of height and 5 pounds for every inch after that. For you, that’s 145 pounds. But even that is just a baseline. Give or take 10% based on your frame. So, 130 to 160 is the "textbook" sweet spot, yet millions of healthy women live happily outside those lines.
What the Doctors Say
Dr. Nick Fuller from the University of Sydney often talks about the "set point theory." This is the idea that your body has a weight it naturally wants to maintain. If you’re 5'9" and your body feels most energetic and functional at 165 pounds, fighting to get to 140 is going to be a constant, miserable uphill battle.
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Your "ideal" isn't a number. It's a state of being.
It’s About Where the Weight Sits
Honestly, the scale is a liar. What actually matters for your long-term health isn't the total mass, but the distribution. Scientists at the Mayo Clinic and other major institutions have found that waist-to-hip ratio is a way better predictor of health than BMI or total weight.
If you’re 180 pounds at 5'9" but you have a narrow waist and carry your weight in your legs and hips, your cardiovascular risk is generally lower than someone who is 150 pounds but carries all of it in their midsection (visceral fat). Visceral fat is the stuff that hangs out around your organs. It's metabolic trouble.
Why Tall Women Get a "Pass" on the Scale
There is a slight advantage to being tall. You have more "room" for weight. A 5-pound gain on someone who is 5'0" is a wardrobe crisis. On you? It’s barely a blip. Your longer limbs and larger surface area mean that fluctuations don't show as drastically. This can be a double-edged sword, though. It's easy to ignore a creeping weight gain until it’s 20 or 30 pounds because your height "hides" it so well.
Living the 5'9" Life: Practicality Matters
Let’s be real. Finding clothes at 5'9" is hard enough without worrying if you’re the "right" weight. You’re likely wearing a size 8 to 12 if you’re in that average weight range, but sizing is a lie anyway.
If you want to know if your weight is "healthy," stop looking at the scale for a second. Ask yourself these questions:
- Can I walk up three flights of stairs without feeling like I’m going to collapse?
- Is my sleep quality decent?
- Are my blood pressure and cholesterol numbers in the green?
- Do I have enough energy to get through my day without four cups of coffee?
If the answer is yes, then your weight—whatever it is—is likely fine for your body right now.
The Myth of the "Model" Weight
We can’t talk about 5'9" women without mentioning the fashion industry. For decades, 5'9" has been the "entry-level" height for runway models. In that world, the "average" weight is often cited as 115 to 125 pounds.
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That is not healthy for the vast majority of women.
It’s a professional requirement for a specific, very rare body type. For a regular person with a job, a life, and a desire to eat pizza on Fridays, those numbers are often unattainable and biologically stressful. Trying to force a 5'9" frame into a 115-pound box is like trying to put truck tires on a sedan. It just doesn't fit the machinery.
Age Changes the Equation
As you get older, the average weight for a 5'9 woman usually shifts upward. Sarcopenia (muscle loss) starts kicking in during your 30s and 40s unless you’re actively lifting weights. Your metabolism slows down. Menopause can shift fat to the belly.
Interestingly, some studies suggest that carrying a little extra weight as you enter your 60s and 70s might actually be protective against osteoporosis and frailty. Being "underweight" as a tall, older woman is often riskier than being slightly "overweight."
Focus on These Actionable Metrics Instead
If you’re obsessing over the 170-pound mark or the 150-pound mark, try shifting your focus. The scale is a single data point. It’s not the whole story.
- Track your waist circumference. For women, a waist measurement under 35 inches is generally associated with a lower risk of chronic diseases, regardless of height.
- Check your strength. Instead of losing 5 pounds, try to see if you can do 10 pushups or a 30-second plank. Functional strength is a better longevity marker than "skinniness."
- Get a DEXA scan if you’re curious. If you really want the truth, a DEXA scan will show you exactly how much of your weight is bone, muscle, and fat. It’s much more useful than a bathroom scale.
- Eat for your height. Tall bodies require more fuel. If you’re 5'9", your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)—the calories you burn just by existing—is higher than your shorter peers. Don't try to survive on a 1,200-calorie diet meant for someone 5'2". You’ll just end up hangry and exhausted.
The average weight for a 5'9 woman is a spectrum, not a target. Whether you're 140, 160, or 180, the most important thing is how that weight allows you to live your life. If you can move well, feel good, and your vitals are solid, you’re exactly where you need to be. Stop comparing your tall, majestic frame to a chart made in the 1800s. You’ve got more important things to do.