Calculate the median and mode for a set of numbers, and compare with the average. Enter your numbers separated by commas or spaces.
Median is the number that lands in the middle of the list when the numbers are sorted in ascending order. If the count of numbers is even, the median is the average of the two middle numbers.
Mode is the value that occurs most often in the number series. A series can have one mode, several modes (if two or more values share first place), or no clear mode (if every value occurs equally often).
Median is often a more robust measure than the average when the data set contains extreme values (outliers). A handful of very high or low numbers can pull the average far in one direction, while the median stays unaffected since it only cares about which value sits in the middle.
The average takes the value of every number into account and can be pulled strongly in one direction by a few extreme values. The median only looks at which number lands in the middle of the sorted list, and is therefore more robust against outliers.
Then the data set has multiple modes — the calculator shows all values that share the highest frequency. If every number occurs equally often (for example when all values are unique), there's no clear mode.
Use median when the data set may contain extreme values that would skew the average, for example home prices, salaries, or other values with a few very high or low outliers.