Normal Blood Pressure by Age: Averages, Ranges and Targets

Kira Hart October 24, 2026 0 Comments

For adults of any age, normal blood pressure is below 120/80 mm Hg, according to the American Heart Association. That target does not rise as you get older. What does rise is the average reading: the typical American adult measures about 123 systolic, and nearly three in four adults 60 and older have high blood pressure.

So “normal” and “average” are not the same thing. This guide shows the official ranges, how readings change with age, what the two numbers mean and how to measure at home. Figures are current as of October 2026.

Blood pressure categories for adults

The 2025 guideline from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology kept the same categories used since 2017. The AHA summary of the 2025 guideline lists them as follows, based on the average of readings taken in a clinic.

Category	Systolic (top number)		Diastolic (bottom number)
Normal	Below 120	and	Below 80
Elevated	120 to 129	and	Below 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
Severe high blood pressure	Higher than 180	and/or	Higher than 120

Note the “or” in the stage rows. If either number falls into a higher category, the higher category applies. For example, 128/84 counts as stage 1, even though the top number alone looks elevated.

The severe row needs quick action. The AHA reading guide says to wait a minute and measure again. If the reading stays above 180/120 and you have no symptoms, call your health care professional. If you have chest pain, shortness of breath, back pain, numbness, weakness, vision changes or trouble speaking, call 911.

Average blood pressure by age

Blood pressure tends to climb through adult life. The clearest national data come from the CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which measures a sample of Americans in person. In the 2017 to March 2020 cycle, the average systolic reading for US adults was about 123 mm Hg, according to a 2023 analysis in the journal Hypertension.

The share of people with high blood pressure shows the age pattern more clearly. A CDC data brief covering August 2021 to August 2023 counted anyone at 130/80 or above, or taking blood pressure medicine.

Age group	Adults with high blood pressure	Of those, aware of it
18 to 39	23.4%	27.2%
40 to 59	52.5%	56.7%
60 and older	71.6%	73.7%
All adults (age-adjusted)	47.7%	n/a

Two things stand out. First, high blood pressure is common well before retirement age. Second, most young adults who have it do not know, because it usually causes no symptoms. Men were more likely to have it than women, at 50.8% versus 44.6%.

Because averages include so many people with high readings, an “average for your age” is not a healthy target. Instead, the goal stays below 120/80 at 30, 50 and 75 alike.

Systolic vs diastolic: what the two numbers mean

The top number, systolic pressure, is the force in your arteries when your heart beats. The bottom number, diastolic pressure, is the force between beats, when the heart rests and refills. Both are measured in millimeters of mercury, written mm Hg.

The two numbers age differently. In the long-running Framingham Heart Study, systolic pressure rose steadily from early adulthood into the 80s. Diastolic pressure, by contrast, rose until about age 50 to 60, then leveled off or fell, as reported in a 1997 study in Circulation. The main reason is that large arteries stiffen with age, which pushes the top number up and lets the bottom number drift down.

That is why older adults often have a high top number with a normal bottom number. Doctors call this isolated systolic hypertension, and it still counts as high blood pressure. In younger adults, a raised bottom number on its own is more common.

Is there a blood pressure by age calculator?

Many websites offer one, but adult categories do not depend on age, so a calculator has little to add. You can check your own number in three steps:

Take the average of several readings, not a single one.
Find the category for your top number and for your bottom number in the table above.
Use whichever category is higher.

Children are the exception. For kids under 13, doctors compare readings with percentile charts based on age, sex and height, under the American Academy of Pediatrics guideline. From age 13, the same 120/80 and 130/80 cutoffs used for adults apply.

Low readings matter too. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute describes low blood pressure as below 90/60. For some people that level is normal and causes no trouble. However, dizziness, fainting or a sudden drop is worth a call to your doctor.

How to measure blood pressure at home

One reading at a pharmacy kiosk can be off by several points. Home readings taken the same way each day give a truer picture. The CDC home measurement guide recommends these steps:

Skip food, caffeine, alcohol, smoking and exercise for 30 minutes before, and empty your bladder.
Sit with your back supported, feet flat and legs uncrossed for at least 5 minutes.
Rest your arm on a table at chest height, with the cuff on bare skin.
Stay quiet while the reading runs.
Take at least two readings 1 to 2 minutes apart, at the same time each day, and log them.

Cuff size matters as well. A cuff that is too small tends to read high, so check the arm range printed on it. Bring your log and your monitor to your next appointment so your doctor can compare it with the office device.

Home numbers also catch two common patterns. Some people read high only in the clinic. Doctors call this white-coat hypertension. Others read normal in the clinic but high at home, which is called masked hypertension. Neither shows up in a single office visit. That is one reason the guideline backs home monitoring to confirm a diagnosis. It also helps track treatment once it starts.

What helps keep blood pressure in range

The 2025 guideline puts lifestyle first for most people with elevated readings or lower-risk stage 1. Medicine is added when readings stay high or risk is higher, for example with diabetes, kidney disease or past heart disease.

Eating more vegetables, fruit, whole grains and low-fat dairy, in the style of the DASH diet
Cutting sodium, since most of it comes from packaged and restaurant food
Regular aerobic activity on most days of the week
Losing weight if you carry extra pounds
Drinking less alcohol, or none

Supplements are not on that list. If you have been reading about vitamins, our guide on vitamin D vs D3 explains the difference between the two forms. Other health explainers live in our health and sports guides.

This is general information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor what your readings mean for you, and before starting or changing any treatment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average blood pressure for an adult?

US national survey data put the average systolic reading at about 123 mm Hg in 2017 to 2020. That is above the 120/80 line for normal, because so many adults have elevated or high readings.

Does normal blood pressure go up with age?

No. The healthy target for adults stays below 120/80 at every age. Readings do tend to rise with age, but higher numbers still raise the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Which matters more, systolic or diastolic?

Both count, and either one can place you in a higher category. After about age 50, the top number is the stronger signal of risk for most people, because it keeps rising as arteries stiffen.

Is 130/80 high blood pressure?

Yes. Under the AHA and ACC guideline, a top number of 130 to 139 or a bottom number of 80 to 89 is stage 1 high blood pressure.

Have a question about this topic? Ask in the comments below. Our editors read every comment and answer questions here, and we add useful answers to the guide.

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