What is an Average Calculator?
An average calculator helps you find the central tendency of a set of numbers. It calculates the mean, median, and mode - three different ways to describe the "typical" value in your data set.
Types of Averages
Mean (Arithmetic Average)
The sum of all numbers divided by the count of numbers. This is what most people think of as "the average."
Mean = Sum of all values / Number of values
Median (Middle Value)
The middle number when values are sorted in order. If there's an even count, it's the average of the two middle numbers. Less affected by extreme values than the mean.
Mode (Most Frequent)
The value that appears most often in the data set. A set can have no mode (all values appear once), one mode, or multiple modes.
Other Statistics
- Range: The difference between the largest and smallest values (Max - Min)
- Standard Deviation: Measures how spread out the numbers are from the mean. Lower values indicate data is clustered near the mean.
- Sum: The total of all numbers added together
When to Use Each Average
- Mean: Best for normally distributed data without extreme outliers (e.g., test scores, temperatures)
- Median: Best when data has outliers or is skewed (e.g., household income, house prices)
- Mode: Best for categorical data or finding the most popular choice (e.g., shoe sizes, survey responses)