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Is 6 feet tall for a man?

Is 6 feet tall for a man?

It seems like wherever you look, there are tall people. Walk around any town, city, or college campus, and you’re almost guaranteed to see a number of men who are 6 foot tall or even taller.

So with that in mind, is 6 feet tall for a guy or not? Let’s take a step back and see what the research has to say.

How Does Your Height Compare?

Is 6 foot tall for a man?

A man getting measured with a stadiometer

Is 6 foot tall for a man? Yes, 6 foot is definitely tall for a man. Based on the height measurement data of over 5,000 American men, the height of 6 feet was found to be 3 inches taller than average.

Statistically, a 6’0 man will be taller than around 85% of men that he encounters. Since younger men tend to be closer to 5’10 on average, this figure may drop to 70-75% if we narrow the sample down to men aged 18-30.

So, in the US and similar places, a 6 ft man will definitely stand out as being tall. But in some parts of the world, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, men can be 6 foot tall on average or very close to it. [1]

To be specific, I’d say that 6 feet is the first height that’s universally considered tall, meaning that it’s also a greatly desired height by a number of men.

Of course, a 6 foot man will look taller in some locations than in others. 

In Europe, for example, a 6ft man will probably look a bit taller than usual but not exceptionally tall. On the other hand, in some parts of Asia or South America, a 6 feet man may even receive stares for his impressive stature.

Related: How much should a 6 foot man weigh?

Is 6’0 and a half tall for a guy?

A man getting his height measured

Yes, 6’0 and a half is definitely tall for a guy because most men, even younger ones, are more than 2 inches shorter than this height.

Obviously, there’s not much visual difference between 6’0 and 6’0.5, but I understand that some guys want to be as precise as possible with their measurements.

That said, I can tell you from watching a number of different men measure their height that many guys measure themselves incorrectly and, as a result, often overestimate their height—sometimes by an inch or more.

As such, there are probably a lot of guys out there who think that they’re 6’0 or 6’0.5 but are, in reality, an inch shorter or even more than that.

I’d actually say that 6 feet is the number one height that men lie about being. This is because the “6 foot club” is seen as an elite club, admission into which apparently guarantees you enhanced status as a tall man.

There are, of course, genuine 6 footers walking around, some of whom understand that a stadiometer is far superior to a tape measure for measuring your height.

Is 6 feet a good height for men?

A businessman holding his hand above his head

Is 6 feet a good height for men? Yes, I would definitely say that 6 feet is a good height for a man because you’re significantly taller than average but not so tall that you receive unwanted attention for your height.

6 foot tall men won’t have trouble buying clothes, which is something that really tall guys constantly have to battle with.

Additionally, a 6 foot tall man will be able to perform various favors for people due to his height (such as passing the box from the top shelf at the store) and yet is unlikely to encounter any physical trouble for his height.

For example, a 6ft tall man won’t constantly bump his head, and he’ll easily be able to fit into a car or airplane seat.

A 6 feet tall person also has a good frame for building muscle. You’ll have plenty of space for lean mass, and yet you won’t look lanky or too stocky, which many people believe results in a more aesthetic physique.

Finally, some research suggests that tall people—a 6 foot male would definitely fit into this category—are more socially dominant, which may explain why height is positively associated with social status. [2]

How rare is it to be 6 feet tall?

Some men getting their height measured with a stadiometer

How rare is it to be 6 feet tall? Being 6 feet tall is quite rare for a man. Based on US height measurement data, only 15% of men are over 6 feet tall.

The above statistic is for all men. But if we narrow it down to young men only, then a 6 feet tall man would be taller than around 75% of the male population, meaning that roughly 25% of young men are 6 feet or taller.

It’s important to note that these estimates are based on men living in the US. If you looked at different locations, then the height of 6 feet would obviously be more or less common depending on the geographic region that you examined.

6 foot height FAQ

A man with a thoughtful expression on his face

This 6 foot height FAQ answers the most common questions that people have about being 6 feet tall.

How tall is 6 ft in centimeters and inches?

How tall is 6 feet? In centimeters, 6 ft is equal to 182.88 cm, which is commonly rounded up to 183 centimeters. This works out to 1.8288 meters.

There are exactly 72 inches in 6ft. We know this because there are 12 inches in a foot, and 6 x 12 is 72.

Is 6 feet average height?

No, 6 feet is not the average height for men living in the US. In a few European locations, 6 feet may be average, but not in America.

As noted, a 6 feet height measurement would actually put you 2-3 inches above the male average, meaning that 6ft is definitely considered tall for a man.

Who is the oldest person over 6 feet tall?

While there is no official record specifying the oldest person over 6 feet tall, it’s very likely that there have been individuals aged 90+ who were over 6 feet.

This is obviously a very niche topic, and there are some names and measurements floating around, but these seem like very rough guesses.

Nutrition quality was not as good during some periods of history, so it’s likely that the oldest person over 6 feet tall is currently living, wherever they may be.

Who are some popular 6ft celebrities and actors?

Some popular 6ft celebrities and actors are Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Christian Bale, Nicolas Cage, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hanks, and Colin Baker.

Do girls not date guys if they aren’t 6 feet?

Girls will still date guys who are under 6 feet. After all, there are more important things to women than just a man’s height, and it’s not like they go around with a tape measure to check the height of a potential partner.

Some men dislike being under 6 feet tall, seeing as any height under 6 foot is generally considered average or short (but not necessarily undesirable). 

For this reason, they may be less confident in themselves, which could cause potential partners to view them as less competent; hence some men think that women only date guys over 6 foot.

How can you be 6 foot tall?

Since height is mainly genetic, you need the genetics to be 6ft tall, first and foremost. If your parents are fairly tall and you’re still going through puberty, then, depending on your diet, sleeping habits, and exercise routine, there’s a chance that you can be 6ft tall.

Is Namjoon 6 feet tall?

It is estimated by fans that Kim Nam-Joon, who’s known as RM, is either 6 feet tall or 5’11, meaning that he’s definitely quite tall for a man.

If my dad is 6ft, how tall will I be?

If your dad is 6ft, then there’s a good chance that you’ll be 6ft too, or somewhere close to it. 

Essentially, to get an estimate of your height potential, you want to add your parent’s heights together, divide that number by two, and then add 2.5 inches if you’re male.

Of course, there are many men who grow a bit taller than this estimate, and there are some who end up shorter than their 6ft dad.

The verdict: How tall is 6 feet for a man?

A man getting his height measured with a stadiometer

6 feet is a good height for men because you’ll be taller than the majority of other men, and yet, you won’t be so tall that going about your daily activities becomes more difficult.

A 6 foot man will be taller than virtually every woman he meets, but he likely won’t tower over potential partners to the point where it might put them off.

In summary, being a 6ft tall man is great because you get the benefits of being tall without any of the trade-offs of being extremely tall.

References

  1. Grasgruber, P., Popović, S., Bokuvka, D., Davidović, I., Hřebíčková, S., Ingrová, P., Potpara, P., Prce, S., & Stračárová, N. (2017). The mountains of giants: an anthropometric survey of male youths in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Royal Society Open Science, 4(4), 161054. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.161054
  2. Stulp, G., Buunk, A. P., Verhulst, S., & Pollet, T. V. (2015). Human height is positively related to interpersonal dominance in dyadic interactions. PloS one10(2), e0117860. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0117860