How do you find the median?

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

Why use the median instead of the average?

The median ignores outliers. One billionaire in a room barely moves the median income, but drags the mean a lot — which is why house prices and salaries are usually quoted as medians.

What is the median of an even number of values?

Take the two middle values after sorting and average them. For 2, 3, 7, 9, 11, 15 the middles are 7 and 9, so the median is 8.

Does the median care about duplicates?

Only through position — duplicates just occupy more positions. In 1, 2, 2, 2, 9 the median is 2 because it holds the middle position.

Stats & Algebra

Sort visualized

Median Calculator

Enter your numbers and watch them sort themselves — the middle value is highlighted, and for even-sized lists the two-middle average is worked out in full.

Your numbers

6 numbers recognised

Separate with commas or spaces — up to 60 values.

Worked solution

Median

middle of 6 sorted values

The two middle values, 7 and 9, average out to 8.

The working

2 steps

Sort the values from smallest to largest
The median is a position, not a calculation — you have to put the data in order before you can find the middle.
As entered
73915211
Sorted — smallest to largest
23791115
With an even count, the two middle values (gold) share the job.
Average the two middle values
With an even count there is no single middle — the median sits halfway between positions 3 and 4.
median = (7 + 9) ÷ 2 = 8

Works instantly in your browser — nothing is uploaded, and the URL keeps your numbers so you can share the exact worked example.

Studying statistics or linear algebra? See every tool in the Stats & Algebra hub — variance, interpolation, RREF and eigenvectors, cross-linked.

The robust average

The median splits the sorted data exactly in half: 50% of values below, 50% above. Because it only looks at position, extreme values cannot drag it. That robustness is why statisticians reach for it whenever data is skewed — incomes, reaction times, house prices.