📊Mean vs Median📐
Both mean and median describe the 'center' of data, but they can give very different answers when the data is skewed.
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📊Mean
- ✓The sum of all values divided by the count
- ✓Uses every single data point
- ✓Common in everyday statistics and calculations
- ✓Strongly affected by extreme outliers
- ✓Easy to use in further mathematical formulas
📐Median
- ✓The middle value when data is sorted in order
- ✓Splits the dataset into two equal halves
- ✓Barely affected by extreme outliers
- ✓Better represents typical values in skewed data
- ✓Used for incomes, house prices and similar data
Verdict
Use the mean for symmetric data without big outliers; use the median when data is skewed — like incomes — because a few extreme values can drag the mean far from typical experience.
Frequently asked
Why is median preferred for income data?+
Incomes are skewed by a few very high earners; the median better reflects what a typical person earns.
Can the mean and median be equal?+
Yes. In a perfectly symmetric distribution the mean and median are the same value.
Which average is sensitive to outliers?+
The mean. A single extreme value can shift it noticeably, while the median resists outliers.
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