What is the diff between median and average?

The median is an average. When people refer to the "average," however, they are usually referring to the mean, or arithmetical average. The mean is calculated by adding all of the values and dividing them by the number of values. The median is the mid-point value. So, in the sequence 1, 1, 3, 3, 5, 6, and 9, the mean is 4 (28/7) and the median is 3.

Ah, ok! I get it now. Thank you!

Median is the number which half the numbers are higher and half are lower.
Average is all the numbers added and divided by the total numbers


1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, 11

The median is 7. The average is 6.14

Sometimes the average can be skewed by large numbers at the top

1,2, 3, 7, 9,10, 1000
The median is 7 but the average is 147.

The range is the difference between the highest and lowest numbers.

And the mode is the number that appears the most often.

1,2,2,7,9,10,11

Range: 11-1=10
Mean (average): 6
Median: 1,2,2,7,9,10,11
Mode: 1,2,2,7,9,10,11

Excellent.

Is the Mac Really Safer Then a PC
Everyone claims the mac is safer but realisticly isn't it less safe because most people on a mac are not as cautious as pc users. Pc users are running software firewalls to see what connections are coming in and out, sandboxing type software and other security type programs.
If someone personally knows you are on a mac seems they could target you better since they know you proably won't be looking for anything out of the ordinary.

What do you guys think

To 'Harmonic:'
I had the same problem awhile back, and was advised to check the definitions ofmean, median and mode on the web (or in any web encyclopedia - such as Wikipedia. All three (mean, median and mode) are "averages." The comparison of the three explained everything to me. Good luck.

But what is the significance of knowing these two values (average and mean) and that they are different? For example with real estate (dropping some zeros for simplicity):

You sold 20 houses.
5 sold for 1100
5 sold for 750
7 sold for 360
3 sold for 140
Average price would be: 609.5 (12190 / 20)
Mean would be: 555 (avg of 360 and 750)

Avg figure is mostly understood, but what does the median tell me?
What is the significance of knowing these two separate values?

Help me understand! Thank you!

They're both averages. The median figure is often used when there is a large series of values and a few values at one end or the other which might, if the mean (arithmetical average) were used, give a misleading picture. For instance, the US government relies on median income as an average, because some huge incomes would skew the mean income figure. It's like the joke: nine guys are sitting at a table in a bar when Bill Gates walks in and sits down. "Congratulations," he says to the men, "on average, everyone sitting at this table is a billionaire."


No, that's not right. 609.5 is the mean. The median -- the midpoint in the range -- is 555.