Average Calculator

Mean, median, minimum, maximum and sum of a list of numbers.

How to calculate an average

• Mean: add all the numbers, then divide by how many there are.
• Median: sort the numbers and take the middle one. With an even count, take the mean of the two middle numbers.

Worked examples

• 12, 7, 3, 18, 9: the sum is 49 and there are 5 numbers, so the mean is 49 ÷ 5 = 9.8. Sorted, they are 3, 7, 9, 12, 18, so the median is 9.
• 4, 8, 15, 23: the mean is 50 ÷ 4 = 12.5. The two middle numbers are 8 and 15, so the median is 11.5.
• 40, 45, 50, 55, 500: the mean is 138, but the median is 50. One extreme value pulls the mean up while the median stays near the typical value.

Mean or median?

Use the mean when values are fairly even. Use the median when a few very large or very small values would distort the result, such as incomes, house prices or response times.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find the average of a list of numbers?

Add them up and divide by how many numbers there are. The calculator does this when you paste or type your numbers.

What is the difference between average and mean?

In everyday use, average usually means the mean. Technically, the mean, median and mode are all types of averages.

Can I enter decimals or negative numbers?

Yes. Separate numbers with commas, spaces or new lines. Use a period for decimals, such as 3.5.

What happens if I type a letter?

The calculator asks for numbers only and shows no result until every entry is a valid number.