Median calculator
The median is the middle value once the numbers are sorted from smallest to largest. The calculator sorts the data for you and shows the ordered set beside the answer.
The median of the 3 numbers is 18.00.
Formula
With an odd number of values the median is the one exactly in the middle. With an even number it is the mean of the two middle values.
How we got there
The median does not react to extreme values, which is why it often describes the typical value better than the mean.
How to find the median by hand
- Sort the numbers into ascending order
This is the step that is easiest to forget. Without sorting, the median comes out wrong.
- Count how many numbers there are
Whether that count is odd or even decides how you read the median off.
- With an odd count, take the middle value
In the set 12, 18, 24 the middle value is 18 — that is the median.
- With an even count, average the two middle values
In 12, 18, 24, 30 the middle two are 18 and 24, so the median is (18 + 24) ÷ 2 = 21.
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Frequently asked questions
Sort the numbers into order and take the middle one. With an even count, average the two middle values.
The mean uses the value of every number, the median only their order. That is why one very large number lifts the mean but not the median.
No — the calculator orders it automatically and shows the sorted set under the answer.
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