Cardivo guides

What is normal blood pressure? The normal BP range explained

Updated October 17, 2026 · Wellness education, not medical advice

Key takeaways

Normal blood pressure is below 120/80 mm Hg for adults (American Heart Association).
Both numbers count: the top (systolic) must be under 120 and the bottom (diastolic) under 80.
Below 90/60 is generally considered low — usually fine if you feel well.
The normal range is the same for all adults, whatever their age or sex.

If you've ever looked at a reading like 118/76 and wondered "is that good?", here's the short answer: for adults, the American Heart Association (AHA) defines normal blood pressure as a systolic number below 120 and a diastolic number below 80 mm Hg. That's the range people mean when they talk about a good, healthy, or ideal blood pressure.

Normal blood pressure range chart

Category	Systolic (top)		Diastolic (bottom)
Normal	Less than 120	and	Less than 80
Elevated	120–129	and	Less than 80
Stage 1 hypertension	130–139	or	80–89
Stage 2 hypertension	140 or higher	or	90 or higher
Severe — call 911 if symptoms	Higher than 180	and/or	Higher than 120

If your two numbers fall into different rows, the higher category applies. For example, 118/84 is stage 1 because the bottom number is 80–89.

What is a good blood pressure reading?

Any reading below 120/80 is in the normal range. There's no single "perfect" number — 108/68 and 117/77 are both normal. What matters more is that your average stays in range over many readings. A single high reading after coffee, a stressful drive, or rushing to the appointment doesn't mean you have high blood pressure.

What should my blood pressure be?

Most adults: below 120/80.
If you have high blood pressure: your doctor will set a personal goal; for many adults it's below 130/80.
Older adults: the same normal range applies, but goals and medicines are individualized. See blood pressure by age.
Children: under 13, "normal" is based on percentiles for age, sex, and height; from 13 on, adult numbers apply.

Normal for men vs. women

The normal range is the same for men and women: below 120/80. On average, men are more likely to have high blood pressure than women in midlife; women's risk rises after menopause.

When blood pressure is too low

Readings below 90/60 are generally considered low (NHLBI). Many healthy people sit there with no problems. It's worth talking to your doctor if low readings come with dizziness, fainting, or blurry vision. More in our low blood pressure guide.

How to know your real average

Use a validated upper-arm cuff and sit quietly for 5 minutes first.
Take two readings, one minute apart, at the same time each day.
Write them down in a blood pressure log (free printable PDF) and look at the weekly average.

Keep your readings in one place

Cardivo, the Heart Rate & BP Log app for iPhone, lets you log cuff readings or sync them from Apple Health, see where each one falls on the chart, and export a PDF for your doctor — alongside heart rate, HRV, and stress. Its camera blood pressure figure is a wellness estimate, not a cuff.

This guide is general wellness education based on the public sources below. It is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Cardivo is not a medical device. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911.

Frequently asked questions

What is a normal blood pressure?

For adults, normal blood pressure is a systolic reading below 120 and a diastolic reading below 80 mm Hg, according to the American Heart Association.

Is 120/80 normal blood pressure?

120/80 is at the top edge. Under AHA categories, a systolic of 120–129 with a diastolic below 80 is 'elevated', and a diastolic of 80–89 is stage 1. Normal is below 120 and below 80.

What is a good blood pressure for my age?

The normal range for all adults, regardless of age, is below 120/80 mm Hg. Treatment goals for people with high blood pressure are set individually by their doctor.

What is the normal range for diastolic blood pressure?

A normal diastolic (bottom) number is below 80 mm Hg. 80–89 is stage 1 and 90 or higher is stage 2 hypertension.

Sources

Cardivo is an ad-free iPhone app that reads heart rate and HRV from your fingertip on the camera in about 30 seconds — no Apple Watch needed — and keeps blood pressure, blood sugar, and mood in one journal you can share with your doctor as a PDF. Download on the App Store.