Last updated 23 August 2026
Three kinds of "average"
- Mean — add everything up, divide by how many there are. The one most people mean by "average."
- Median — sort the numbers and take the middle one (or the average of the two middle ones, for an even count). Not affected by extreme outliers.
- Mode — the value that shows up most often. There can be more than one, or none at all if nothing repeats.
A single "average" can hide a lot. A street where nine houses cost £200,000 and one costs £2,000,000 has a mean price over £380,000 — but a median of £200,000, which is what actually describes the typical house there.
Common questions
What's the difference between mean, median and mode?
Mean is the sum divided by the count — the everyday "average." Median is the middle value once everything is sorted. Mode is whichever value appears most often. They can all be different numbers for the same data set.
Why would I use median instead of mean?
Mean is pulled around by extreme values — one very large or small number can drag it far from what feels typical. Median ignores the size of outliers and just finds the middle, which is why income and house-price statistics are usually reported as medians.
What if there's no repeated value?
Then there is no mode, and the calculator says so rather than guessing. A mode only exists when at least one value appears more than once.
How do I enter the numbers?
Separate them with commas, spaces or new lines — any mix works. The calculator ignores anything that isn't a valid number.