Explainer
Blood pressure by age and sex
The healthy range for blood pressure is the same for every adult, whatever their age or sex. What changes with age is how many people are above it: about 1 in 4 adults under 40, and more than 7 in 10 adults 60 and older.
Healthy blood pressure by age
US guidelines use one set of categories for all adults 18 and older, men and women alike, in mm Hg (AHA/ACC 2025):
| Category | Top number (systolic) | Bottom number (diastolic) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | Under 120 | and | Under 80 |
| Elevated | 120 to 129 | and | Under 80 |
| Stage 1 high blood pressure | 130 to 139 | or | 80 to 89 |
| Stage 2 high blood pressure | 140 or higher | or | 90 or higher |
There is no separate "normal for your age" column. A reading of 135/85 is stage 1 at 30 and at 70. Blood pressure that rises with age is common, but it still counts as high. See blood pressure ranges, explained for what each category means and when a reading is an emergency.
How common high blood pressure is, by age and sex
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) measures blood pressure in a sample of US adults. In this survey, high blood pressure means a top number of 130 or more, a bottom number of 80 or more, or taking blood pressure medicine. From August 2021 to August 2023, 47.7% of adults had it (NCHS 2024):
| Age | Men | Women | All adults |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 to 39 | 30.0% | 16.4% | 23.4% |
| 40 to 59 | 55.9% | 49.0% | 52.5% |
| 60 and older | 72.7% | 70.6% | 71.6% |
| All 18 and older | 50.8% | 44.6% | 47.7% |
High blood pressure became more common with each age group, for men and for women. Men had it more often than women under 60. From 60 on, the difference between men and women was not significant (NCHS 2024).
Many people with high blood pressure do not know it
Among adults with high blood pressure in the same survey, the share who had been told so by a doctor, who were taking medicine for it, and whose blood pressure was under 130/80 was (NCHS 2024):
| Age | Knew they had it | Taking medicine | Under control |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 to 39 | 27.2% | 13.9% | 4.5% |
| 40 to 59 | 56.7% | 47.1% | 18.1% |
| 60 and older | 73.7% | 69.1% | 29.2% |
| All 18 and older | 59.2% | 51.2% | 20.7% |
Young adults were the least likely to know. Under 40, only 23.3% of men with high blood pressure knew they had it, against 34.6% of women. Overall, men knew less often (55.2%) and took medicine less often (46.7%) than women (63.6% and 56.1%) (NCHS 2024). None of these shares changed significantly from the 2017 to March 2020 survey (NCHS 2024).
How often to get checked at your age
The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends blood pressure screening for all adults 18 and older without known high blood pressure (grade A). Its suggested intervals are (USPSTF 2021):
| Who | How often |
|---|---|
| Adults 40 and older | Every year |
| Adults at higher risk at any age, such as Black adults, people with blood pressure near the high range, or people who are overweight | Every year |
| Adults 18 to 39 at normal risk, with a normal last reading | Every 3 to 5 years |
The Task Force also recommends confirming a high office reading with readings outside the clinic, at home or with a 24-hour monitor, before treatment starts (USPSTF 2021).
Common questions
What is normal blood pressure for a 60-year-old?
The same as for any adult: under 120/80 (AHA/ACC 2025). Higher readings are common at 60, with about 7 in 10 adults 60 and older having high blood pressure (NCHS 2024), but common does not mean healthy.
Is normal blood pressure different for women and men?
No. The categories are the same for both (AHA/ACC 2025). Men under 60 are more likely to have high blood pressure than women of the same age (NCHS 2024).
Does high blood pressure in your 20s and 30s matter?
Yes. Almost 1 in 4 adults 18 to 39 had high blood pressure in the latest survey, and fewer than 3 in 10 of them knew it (NCHS 2024). Getting checked every 3 to 5 years, or every year if your risk is higher, is how it gets found (USPSTF 2021).
Also see the blood pressure screening check, the heart risk calculator, which uses your blood pressure, the stroke risk check and cholesterol levels by age.
Sources
- Jones DW, et al. 2025 AHA/ACC/AANP/AAPA/ABC/ACCP/ACPM/AGS/AMA/ASPC/NMA/PCNA/SGIM Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults. Circulation. 2025;152:e114-e218. doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001356
- Fryar CD, Kit B, Carroll MD, Afful J. Hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control among adults age 18 and older: United States, August 2021-August 2023. NCHS Data Brief, no 511. National Center for Health Statistics; 2024. www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db511.htm
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Hypertension in Adults: US Preventive Services Task Force Reaffirmation Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2021;325(16):1650-1656. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/hypertension-in-adults-screening
Written and maintained by the uncovermyrisk.com editorial team. We do not have a medical reviewer; every claim links to its primary source above. Last reviewed: 2026-10-29. Spotted an error? See About.