How to find the median
The median is the middle value once your numbers are sorted from smallest to largest. With an odd count, it is the single middle number. With an even count, it is the average of the two middle numbers. For 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 the two middles are 5 and 6, so the median is (5 + 6) ÷ 2 = 5.5.
How to use this calculator
Type your values into the fields and leave any you don't need blank. The calculator sorts the entered numbers automatically and shows the median plus the count of values used. For the average instead, try the mean absolute deviation calculator.
The median comes back in the same units as your data, and with an even count it can be a value that never appears in the set — 5.5 is not one of the eight numbers above, which is perfectly normal.
Median vs. mean
The median is resistant to outliers, while the mean (average) is pulled toward extreme values. If your data is skewed, the median often describes the typical value better. To see the most common value instead, use the mode calculator, and for spread use the range calculator.
That is why incomes, house prices and response times are usually reported as medians: a handful of very large values would drag the mean well above what most of the group experiences, while the middle value barely moves.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I calculate the median?
- Sort the numbers, then take the middle one. If there is an even count, average the two middle values. For 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 the median is 5.5.
- What if I have an even number of values?
- Take the two middle values and average them. That average is the median.
- Does a blank field count?
- No. Only the fields you fill in are sorted and counted.
- Is the median the same as the average?
- Not usually. The median is the middle value; the average (mean) is the sum divided by the count. They match only for symmetric data.
- Do I need to sort the numbers before entering them?
- No, the calculator sorts them for you, so you can type the values in any order. If you are working by hand, though, sorting first is essential — reading the middle of an unsorted list is the most common way people get the median wrong.