Transparent method
The formula
Worked example
Example inputs
How to interpret the result
A wide gap between mean and median is the number quietly telling you the data has a heavy tail in one direction, before you've looked at a single individual value. Six neighborhood incomes averaging to a high mean with a much lower median almost always means one unusually high value is pulling the average up, not that a typical household earns near the mean.
Before you rely on it
What to check
Look at the gap between the two, not either figure alone. A small gap says the data is fairly symmetric; a large one says at least one value sits far from the rest.
The common error
Where people go wrong with mean & median calculator
Reporting the mean as the typical value in a skewed dataset. Median is the one built to resist outliers, and in a skewed set it's usually the closer answer to what a typical case actually looks like.
Step by step
The worked example, input by input
| Input | Value used |
|---|---|
| Value 1 | 12 |
| Value 2 | 18 |
| Value 3 | 9 |
| Value 4 | 22 |
| Value 5 | 15 |
| Value 6 | 20 |
| Mean | 16 |
| Median | 16.5 |
Where the inputs come from
Enter the values in your list, up to the six slots provided. Use numbers in the same units, such as test scores or prices. The mean adds the values and divides by how many there are, and the median is the middle value once the list is sorted, or the average of the two middle values for an even count. Leave out blanks and check for typing errors, since a single wrong digit can move the mean noticeably.
When the result stops applying
The mean is sensitive to outliers, and the median ignores the size of extreme values entirely. Neither shows spread, so pair them with the standard deviation or the range. Small samples can mislead. The mode, the most frequent value, is a third measure of center that this tool does not compute.
What to compare it with
Measure spread on the standard deviation and range calculators, compute weighted averages on the weighted average page, and find how far a value sits from the mean on the z-score calculator. The confidence interval page uses the mean to estimate a population. The percentage calculator helps with shares.
People also ask
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between mean and median?
The mean is the arithmetic average, while the median is the middle value in a sorted list. The median is less affected by extreme values.
When should I use the median instead of the mean?
When the data is skewed or has outliers, such as incomes or house prices, since the median better represents a typical value.
How do I find the median of an even number of values?
Sort the values from smallest to largest and take the average of the two middle values, since an even count has no single middle number.