Aim Bone‐derived circulating CD34‐positive cells are reported to play an important role in vascular maintenance. Additionally, height might influence age‐related hematopoietic bone marrow decline, as it positively correlates with total bone marrow volume. As hypertension should mask the beneficial effects of circulating CD34‐positive cells, hypertension status should account for this correlation. The present study aimed to clarify the clinical importance of height on vascular maintenance in older Japanese men. Methods We carried out a cross‐sectional study of 343 older men aged 65–69 years who underwent a general health checkup from 2013 to 2015. Results Independent of known cardiovascular risk factors, height was found to be slightly, but significantly, positively correlated with the log number of circulating CD34‐positive cells in systolic, but not non‐systolic, hypertensive men. Multilinear regression analysis showed a parameter estimate (B) and standardized parameter estimate (β) of 3.23 × 10–2, 0.28 (P = 0.003) for systolic hypertensive men and –0.49 × 10–2, –0.04 (P = 0.495) for non‐systolic hypertensive men. Conclusions Height positively correlates with circulating CD34‐positive cells in systolic, but not non‐systolic, hypertensive men. As the beneficial effects of circulating CD34‐positive cells on endothelial repair might be masked by hypertension where the production of CD34‐positive cells is stimulated by hypertension‐induced vascular damage, among individuals with systolic hypertension, circulating CD34‐positive cells should indicate the limits of endothelial repair. Therefore, height might indicate the capacity for adequate vascular maintenance in older men.