How to Calculate the Average: Mean, Median and Mode
People say "average" and usually mean the mean — but there are actually three averages, and using the wrong one can paint a misleading picture. Here's each, with when to use it.
Mean — the everyday average
Add all the numbers and divide by how many there are. For 4, 8 and 12: (4+8+12) ÷ 3 = 8. It's the most common average, but it's easily skewed by extreme values (one millionaire raises the "average" income of a room).
Median — the middle value
Sort the numbers and take the middle one (or the average of the two middle ones). The median ignores outliers, which is why incomes and house prices are usually reported as medians, not means.
Mode — the most frequent
The value that appears most often. Useful for categorical data — the most common shoe size, the most popular choice.
Calculate all three at once
Our free average calculator gives the mean, median, mode and more from any list of numbers. For percentage-based summaries, see our percentage guide.
Bottom line
Use the mean for balanced data, the median when outliers would distort it, and the mode for "most common." Knowing which average you're looking at is the difference between a true picture and a misleading one — as Maths is Fun illustrates well.
