Average height for a 10-year-old boy
At exactly 10 years old, the median boy in the US is 4'6½" (138.6 cm) tall, according to the CDC growth charts. Half of 10-year-old boys are between 4'5" and 4'8½", and about 9 in 10 fall between 4'2½" and 4'11".
Height percentiles for 10-year-old boys
CDC 2000 stature-for-age chart, at 10 years 0 months.
| Percentile | Height | cm | in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd | 4'2" | 126.5 | 49.8 |
| 5th | 4'2½" | 128.0 | 50.4 |
| 10th | 4'3½" | 130.3 | 51.3 |
| 25th | 4'5" | 134.2 | 52.8 |
| 50th (median) | 4'6½" | 138.6 | 54.6 |
| 75th | 4'8½" | 143.1 | 56.3 |
| 90th | 4'10" | 147.2 | 57.9 |
| 95th | 4'11" | 149.7 | 58.9 |
| 97th | 4'11½" | 151.3 | 59.6 |
What’s typical at 10 for boys
Between 10 and 11, the median boy grows about 2 in (4.9 cm) — from 4'6½" to 4'8½".
A median 10-year-old boy has reached about 78% of the CDC's median adult height for men (5'9½"), so roughly 15 in (38.2 cm) of growth is still typical from here.
Growth is still at the steady childhood pace for most boys. Puberty typically begins between 9 and 14, so a few boys this age are starting to speed up while most are not; an early or late start here says very little about final height.
How to read a percentile
A percentile compares a child with others of the same age and sex on the CDC 2000 growth charts — the same L, M and S values a pediatrician’s chart is drawn from, and where every number on this page comes from. The 50th percentile is the median: half of boys that age are shorter and half are taller. The 5th and 95th bracket the middle 90%.
Pediatricians care less about the number than the line. A child who stays near the same percentile year after year is growing normally, whatever that percentile is — a steady 15th is healthier than a 60th that has just dropped from the 90th. Crossing two of the major lines, or sitting below the 3rd, is the usual cue to have a pediatrician take a look. None of this is medical advice.
How tall will a 10-year-old boy be as an adult?
Height at 10 is one input. The calculator combines it with both parents’ heights and puberty timing to give the range adult height will most likely land in — free, no account.
Try the height calculatorThe MaxHeight app shows the number inside that range and sharpens it as you log — free to download on the App Store.
Source: CDC 2000 growth charts, stature-for-age LMS parameters (statage.csv). Adult figures: NHANES 2015–2018. MaxHeight is not affiliated with or endorsed by the CDC.