Mean, Median & Mode

Data Set

Numbers (comma or space separated)

Separate values with commas or spaces. Decimals are supported.

Examples

Results

Enter numbers and press Calculate to see mean, median, and mode.

Mean

—

average

Median

—

middle value

Mode

—

most frequent

—

Count (n)

—

Sum

—

Min

—

Max

The Three Measures

Mean = (x₁ + x₂ + … + xₙ) / n

Mean — Add all values and divide by the count. This is the arithmetic average. Pulled toward extreme values (outliers).

Median — Sort the data, then find the middle value. If n is odd, it's the single center value. If n is even, average the two center values. Not affected by outliers.

Mode — The value(s) that appear most often. A data set can have one mode, multiple modes, or no mode if all values appear equally.

All three describe where data is "centered" — but they can give very different answers for the same data set!

When to Use Each

Choosing the right measure depends on the shape of your data:

Mean — Best for symmetric data with no extreme outliers (e.g., test scores in a normal class).
Median — Best for skewed data or when outliers exist (e.g., income data, house prices). Resistant to extremes.
Mode — Best for categorical data or finding the "most popular" value (e.g., shoe sizes, dice rolls, survey responses).

When mean ≠ median, your data is skewed. The median gives a fairer picture of the "typical" value.

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