Child Height Calculator (Mid-Parental)
Mid-parental height calculator: both biological parents’ heights and the child’s sex give Tanner’s target adult height with a range of ± 8.5 cm. How it works
Use the Child Height Calculator (Mid-Parental)
About the Child Height Calculator (Mid-Parental)
A child’s target adult height by the mid-parental method is the average of the two parents’ heights, plus 6.5 cm for a boy or minus 6.5 cm for a girl. For a father of 5 ft 10 in and a mother of 5 ft 4 in that is 5 ft 10 in (177 cm) for a son and 5 ft 4 in (164 cm) for a daughter, each with a range of 8.5 cm either side. It is a target that describes the family, not a prediction for one child.
Target height for a son, parents’ heights in feet and inches
| Father | Mother 5 ft 0 in | Mother 5 ft 2 in | Mother 5 ft 4 in | Mother 5 ft 6 in | Mother 5 ft 8 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 6 in | 5 ft 6 in (5 ft 2 in to 5 ft 9 in) | 5 ft 7 in (5 ft 3 in to 5 ft 10 in) | 5 ft 8 in (5 ft 4 in to 5 ft 11 in) | 5 ft 9 in (5 ft 5 in to 6 ft 0 in) | 5 ft 10 in (5 ft 6 in to 6 ft 1 in) |
| 5 ft 8 in | 5 ft 7 in (5 ft 3 in to 5 ft 10 in) | 5 ft 8 in (5 ft 4 in to 5 ft 11 in) | 5 ft 9 in (5 ft 5 in to 6 ft 0 in) | 5 ft 10 in (5 ft 6 in to 6 ft 1 in) | 5 ft 11 in (5 ft 7 in to 6 ft 2 in) |
| 5 ft 10 in | 5 ft 8 in (5 ft 4 in to 5 ft 11 in) | 5 ft 9 in (5 ft 5 in to 6 ft 0 in) | 5 ft 10 in (5 ft 6 in to 6 ft 1 in) | 5 ft 11 in (5 ft 7 in to 6 ft 2 in) | 6 ft 0 in (5 ft 8 in to 6 ft 3 in) |
| 6 ft 0 in | 5 ft 9 in (5 ft 5 in to 6 ft 0 in) | 5 ft 10 in (5 ft 6 in to 6 ft 1 in) | 5 ft 11 in (5 ft 7 in to 6 ft 2 in) | 6 ft 0 in (5 ft 8 in to 6 ft 3 in) | 6 ft 1 in (5 ft 9 in to 6 ft 4 in) |
| 6 ft 2 in | 5 ft 10 in (5 ft 6 in to 6 ft 1 in) | 5 ft 11 in (5 ft 7 in to 6 ft 2 in) | 6 ft 0 in (5 ft 8 in to 6 ft 3 in) | 6 ft 1 in (5 ft 9 in to 6 ft 4 in) | 6 ft 2 in (5 ft 10 in to 6 ft 5 in) |
| 6 ft 4 in | 5 ft 11 in (5 ft 7 in to 6 ft 2 in) | 6 ft 0 in (5 ft 8 in to 6 ft 3 in) | 6 ft 1 in (5 ft 9 in to 6 ft 4 in) | 6 ft 2 in (5 ft 10 in to 6 ft 5 in) | 6 ft 3 in (5 ft 11 in to 6 ft 6 in) |
Each cell is the target, then the range of 8.5 cm either side, as the calculator rounds them to whole inches.
Target height for a daughter, parents’ heights in feet and inches
| Father | Mother 5 ft 0 in | Mother 5 ft 2 in | Mother 5 ft 4 in | Mother 5 ft 6 in | Mother 5 ft 8 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 6 in | 5 ft 0 in (4 ft 9 in to 5 ft 4 in) | 5 ft 1 in (4 ft 10 in to 5 ft 5 in) | 5 ft 2 in (4 ft 11 in to 5 ft 6 in) | 5 ft 3 in (5 ft 0 in to 5 ft 7 in) | 5 ft 4 in (5 ft 1 in to 5 ft 8 in) |
| 5 ft 8 in | 5 ft 1 in (4 ft 10 in to 5 ft 5 in) | 5 ft 2 in (4 ft 11 in to 5 ft 6 in) | 5 ft 3 in (5 ft 0 in to 5 ft 7 in) | 5 ft 4 in (5 ft 1 in to 5 ft 8 in) | 5 ft 5 in (5 ft 2 in to 5 ft 9 in) |
| 5 ft 10 in | 5 ft 2 in (4 ft 11 in to 5 ft 6 in) | 5 ft 3 in (5 ft 0 in to 5 ft 7 in) | 5 ft 4 in (5 ft 1 in to 5 ft 8 in) | 5 ft 5 in (5 ft 2 in to 5 ft 9 in) | 5 ft 6 in (5 ft 3 in to 5 ft 10 in) |
| 6 ft 0 in | 5 ft 3 in (5 ft 0 in to 5 ft 7 in) | 5 ft 4 in (5 ft 1 in to 5 ft 8 in) | 5 ft 5 in (5 ft 2 in to 5 ft 9 in) | 5 ft 6 in (5 ft 3 in to 5 ft 10 in) | 5 ft 7 in (5 ft 4 in to 5 ft 11 in) |
| 6 ft 2 in | 5 ft 4 in (5 ft 1 in to 5 ft 8 in) | 5 ft 5 in (5 ft 2 in to 5 ft 9 in) | 5 ft 6 in (5 ft 3 in to 5 ft 10 in) | 5 ft 7 in (5 ft 4 in to 5 ft 11 in) | 5 ft 8 in (5 ft 5 in to 6 ft 0 in) |
| 6 ft 4 in | 5 ft 5 in (5 ft 2 in to 5 ft 9 in) | 5 ft 6 in (5 ft 3 in to 5 ft 10 in) | 5 ft 7 in (5 ft 4 in to 5 ft 11 in) | 5 ft 8 in (5 ft 5 in to 6 ft 0 in) | 5 ft 9 in (5 ft 6 in to 6 ft 1 in) |
A daughter’s target is 13 cm, about 5 in, below a son’s for the same parents.
Target height for a son, parents’ heights in centimeters
| Father | Mother 155 cm | Mother 160 cm | Mother 165 cm | Mother 170 cm | Mother 175 cm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 165 cm | 167 cm (158 to 175) | 169 cm (161 to 178) | 172 cm (163 to 180) | 174 cm (166 to 183) | 177 cm (168 to 185) |
| 170 cm | 169 cm (161 to 178) | 172 cm (163 to 180) | 174 cm (166 to 183) | 177 cm (168 to 185) | 179 cm (171 to 188) |
| 175 cm | 172 cm (163 to 180) | 174 cm (166 to 183) | 177 cm (168 to 185) | 179 cm (171 to 188) | 182 cm (173 to 190) |
| 180 cm | 174 cm (166 to 183) | 177 cm (168 to 185) | 179 cm (171 to 188) | 182 cm (173 to 190) | 184 cm (176 to 193) |
| 185 cm | 177 cm (168 to 185) | 179 cm (171 to 188) | 182 cm (173 to 190) | 184 cm (176 to 193) | 187 cm (178 to 195) |
| 190 cm | 179 cm (171 to 188) | 182 cm (173 to 190) | 184 cm (176 to 193) | 187 cm (178 to 195) | 189 cm (181 to 198) |
Target, then the range in centimeters, each rounded to a whole centimeter as on the page. A target that ends in .5, such as 166.5 cm, is shown rounded up.
Target height for a daughter, parents’ heights in centimeters
| Father | Mother 155 cm | Mother 160 cm | Mother 165 cm | Mother 170 cm | Mother 175 cm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 165 cm | 154 cm (145 to 162) | 156 cm (148 to 165) | 159 cm (150 to 167) | 161 cm (153 to 170) | 164 cm (155 to 172) |
| 170 cm | 156 cm (148 to 165) | 159 cm (150 to 167) | 161 cm (153 to 170) | 164 cm (155 to 172) | 166 cm (158 to 175) |
| 175 cm | 159 cm (150 to 167) | 161 cm (153 to 170) | 164 cm (155 to 172) | 166 cm (158 to 175) | 169 cm (160 to 177) |
| 180 cm | 161 cm (153 to 170) | 164 cm (155 to 172) | 166 cm (158 to 175) | 169 cm (160 to 177) | 171 cm (163 to 180) |
| 185 cm | 164 cm (155 to 172) | 166 cm (158 to 175) | 169 cm (160 to 177) | 171 cm (163 to 180) | 174 cm (165 to 182) |
| 190 cm | 166 cm (158 to 175) | 169 cm (160 to 177) | 171 cm (163 to 180) | 174 cm (165 to 182) | 176 cm (168 to 185) |
The range is Tanner’s original 8.5 cm either side, intended to cover the 3rd to the 97th percentile.
Methodology
Boys: target = (father + mother + 13 cm) ÷ 2. Girls: target = (father + mother − 13 cm) ÷ 2. The range is the target ± 8.5 cm. This is the mid-parental, or target, height described by Tanner: the 13 cm is the constant he used for the height difference between men and women. Heights in feet and inches are converted at 2.54 cm to the inch. Parents’ heights from 120 to 250 cm are accepted.
Frequently asked questions
- How tall will my child be?
- No formula can say for one child. The mid-parental method gives a target for the family: a father of 6 ft 0 in and a mother of 5 ft 6 in give 6 ft 0 in (182 cm) for a son, with a range of 5 ft 8 in to 6 ft 3 in, and 5 ft 6 in (169 cm) for a daughter, with a range of 5 ft 3 in to 5 ft 10 in.
- How accurate is the mid-parental height formula?
- Loosely. A 2024 study of 23 large families found that mid-parental height explained 36% of the variation in the adult children’s heights, and that the children were on average 2.7 cm taller than their targets. Tanner set the range at 8.5 cm either side and later widened it to 9 cm for girls and 10 cm for boys. This calculator shows the 8.5 cm range.
- Why does the formula add or subtract 13 cm?
- Thirteen centimeters is the constant Tanner used to convert between female and male height. Adding it to the parents’ combined height before halving raises their average by 6.5 cm for a son, and subtracting it lowers the average by 6.5 cm for a daughter. That is why a son’s and a daughter’s targets for the same parents are always 13 cm apart.
- Does it work for adopted children or step-parents?
- No. The method rests on the heights of the child’s biological parents, so it does not apply when the heights entered belong to anyone else. It also ignores the child’s own growth so far.
- What do doctors use target height for?
- They compare it with the adult height a child is heading for on a growth chart. A large gap between the two is taken as a sign that a medical cause may be worth looking for. The calculator gives the target only and does not read growth charts, so questions about how a child is growing belong with a pediatrician.
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