The weight-adjusted waist Index (WWI) emerges as a novel metric for assessing obesity. The aim of this research was to explore the association between WWI and total femoral Bone Mineral Density (BMD) in the older adults of the United States. This study involving individuals aged 60 years and older utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) across five survey cycles (from 2005–2010, 2013–2014, and 2017–2018) to examine the association between WWI and total femur BMD. In this research, we employed a suite of statistical methods to explore both linear and nonlinear associations. Additionally, a threshold effect analysis was conducted to ascertain the saturation threshold for WWI. Analysis via multivariate linear regression uncovered a notably positive correlation between WWI and total femur BMD among 7292 US seniors aged 60 years and older [β: 0.0138, 95% CI: (0.0069, 0.0206), P: 0.0003]. Consistent positive correlations were observed across various demographic subgroups. Furthermore, in the smooth curve fitting analysis ,an inverse U-shaped association was identified between the WWI and total femur BMD.And in the threshold effect analysis, the critical inflection point was established at 11.93 cm/√kg. So, this research established an inverse U-shaped association between WWI and total femur BMD in the older adults,and maintaining a certain level of WWI may have a positive protective effect on total femur BMD of the older adults in the United States.