Median Calculator

Find the median of a dataset, with handling for even-count sets by averaging the two middle values, plus count, min, max, and mean.

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Values

15.5

Median

Mean

Count

Middle values	15 and 16
Minimum	4
Maximum	42
Sum	108
Count	6

Central Tendency

Median — the middle value of a sorted dataset

The median is the value that sits exactly in the middle of a sorted dataset — half the values are below it and half are above. Unlike the mean, the median is not affected by extreme outliers, making it the preferred measure of central tendency for skewed distributions such as household income, house prices, and response times.

About this calculator

Reviewed 2026-03-15

Methodology

Values are parsed from the input, sorted numerically, and the median is identified at position ⌊n/2⌋ (odd count) or averaged across positions n/2 and n/2 + 1 (even count, 1-indexed). This is the standard statistical definition of the median as used in NIST and academic curricula worldwide.

Limitations

This calculator finds the arithmetic median only. It does not compute weighted medians or interpolated medians for grouped data.
For very large datasets, the precision of the median depends on the precision of the input values.
The median is a measure of central tendency but does not describe the spread or shape of the distribution. Use it alongside range, interquartile range, or standard deviation.

Disclaimer

This calculator is for educational and general analytical use. Results are based on the exact values entered.

Sources

See our calculation methodology and editorial standards for how this estimate is produced.

How to find the median

Sort the dataset from smallest to largest. If the count is odd, the median is the middle value. If the count is even, the median is the average of the two middle values.

For example, the dataset 3, 7, 8, 12, 15 has five values — the middle value is 8, so the median is 8. For 3, 7, 8, 12, the two middle values are 7 and 8, so the median is (7 + 8) / 2 = 7.5.

Odd n: median = value at position (n + 1) / 2

In a sorted dataset with an odd count, the median is the value at the exact midpoint.

Even n: median = (value at n/2 + value at n/2 + 1) / 2

In a sorted dataset with an even count, the median is the average of the two middle values.

Median versus mean

The mean sums all values and divides by count. A single large outlier can pull the mean far from the typical value. The median, by contrast, depends only on the middle position — outliers have no effect beyond shifting where the middle lies.

This is why median income and median house price are reported instead of averages: in a distribution with a long upper tail (a few very high earners or very expensive properties), the mean overstates what is "typical". The median gives the value that a randomly selected member of the population is equally likely to be above or below.

When to use the median

Use the median when: your data is skewed or has outliers; you are measuring economic data (incomes, prices, costs); response times, wait times, or latencies are involved; or the data is ordinal rather than truly numeric.

The mean is preferred when: the distribution is roughly symmetric without extreme outliers; you need to use the result in further calculations (such as standard deviation, regression, or hypothesis tests); or every data point should genuinely influence the result.

Frequently asked questions

Can there be more than one median?

No — a dataset has exactly one median. For even-count datasets, the median is defined as the average of the two middle values, which is always a single number. Even if that average is not itself a value in the dataset, it is still the unique median.

Is the median always one of the values in the dataset?

Not necessarily. For odd-count datasets, the median is always one of the actual values. For even-count datasets, the median is the average of two middle values, which may or may not appear in the dataset. For example, {1, 2, 3, 4} has median 2.5, which is not in the dataset.

What is the relationship between median and percentiles?

The median is the 50th percentile — the value below which 50% of the data falls. It is also the second quartile (Q2). Percentiles generalise this concept: the 25th percentile (Q1) has 25% of values below it, and the 75th percentile (Q3) has 75% below.

Does sorting order matter for the median?

No — the median is defined on the sorted version of the dataset and gives the same result regardless of the original order. This calculator sorts the values automatically before finding the middle position.

Median Calculator

Median — the middle value of a sorted dataset

How to find the median

Median versus mean

When to use the median

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