What is a normal white blood cell (WBC) count?

Creator: Mike Bohl, MD, MPH, ALM
Published: 2020-05-04

Reviewed by Mike Bohl, MD, MPH, ALM and

Tzvi Doron, DO,

Reviewed by Mike Bohl, MD, MPH, ALM and

Tzvi Doron, DO,

last updated: May 04, 2020

2 min read

A normal white blood cell count is 4.5–11.0 x10⁹/L.

White blood cells (leukocytes) are types of cells in the blood and in the lymph system. There are several different kinds of white blood cells, including lymphocytes, monocytes, and granulocytes (neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils). White blood cells are created in the bone marrow and function as part of the immune system. Many things may cause the white blood cell count to go up (leukocytosis) or down (leukopenia), such as infection, leukemia, certain other medical conditions, and certain medications.

Most commonly, white blood cell count increases when there is an infection in the body. Leukopenia can be dangerous because it means the immune system is weaker. Leukocytosis also indicates something dangerous may be going on in the body. The white blood cell count can be brought back to normal by treating the underlying cause.

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What we mean by normal

In medicine, using the term “normal” can sometimes be off-putting. Saying something is “normal” implies that everything else is “abnormal.” Additionally, saying something is “normal” may not be accurate, since something that is “normal” for you may not be “normal” for somebody else. Therefore, instead of saying certain values are “normal,” alternative terminology may be to say that these values are “healthy” or “within the reference range.”

Additionally, some values have well-defined cutoffs, while others do not. For example, when looking at hemoglobin A1c levels, a value of 6.5 or greater is always diagnostic of diabetes. On the other hand, when looking at testosterone levels, some use cutoffs of 270–1,070 ng/dL while others use cutoffs of 300–1,000 ng/dL.

The information above represents values that are commonly used as cutoffs. However, depending on the specific source you’re looking at or the laboratory you go to, their values may be a little different.

DISCLAIMER

If you have any medical questions or concerns, please talk to your healthcare provider. The articles on Health Guide are underpinned by peer-reviewed research and information drawn from medical societies and governmental agencies. However, they are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

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How we reviewed this article

Every article on Health Guide goes through rigorous fact-checking by our team of medical reviewers. Our reviewers are trained medical professionals who ensure each article contains the most up-to-date information, and that medical details have been correctly interpreted by the writer.