Statistics 101: Mean, Median, Mode Explained

Mean, median, and mode are the three most commonly used measures of central tendency — they all describe the "center" of a dataset, but in different ways. Knowing which one to use in a given situation is essential for accurate data analysis.

Mean (Average)

The mean is the sum of all values divided by the count of values. Example: for the dataset [10, 20, 30, 40, 100], the mean = 200 ÷ 5 = 40. The mean is best used when data is symmetrically distributed without extreme outliers.

Median (Middle Value)

The median is the middle value when data is sorted. For [10, 20, 30, 40, 100], the median = 30. If there's an even count of values, take the average of the two middle values. The median is better than the mean when data has outliers — for example, average household income uses median because a few billionaires would skew the mean dramatically.

Mode (Most Frequent Value)

The mode is the value that appears most often. A dataset can have one mode, multiple modes, or no mode. For [2, 3, 3, 5, 7, 7, 7], the mode is 7. Mode is most useful for categorical data — for example, finding the most popular shoe size in a store.

Which One Should You Use?

Use the mean for symmetric data with no outliers (test scores, heights). Use the median when outliers are present or data is skewed (incomes, house prices). Use the mode for categorical data or finding the most common value (sizes, preferences).

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