Which Is Better to Use Mean or Median?

Mean and median are both measures to find central tendency for a set of data.

Choosing Mean

Mean is the arithmetic average for a set of data and is the preferred measure of the most representative value. However, the mean is highly sensitive to outliers, which are any values that are much larger or much smaller than the other typical values in the data set.

Choosing Median

Median, the middle value, is also a standard measure of central tendency for a data set. But unlike mean, extreme values outside the typical data range do not affect it, so it often offers the best measure.

Bottom Line

According to the Northwest Evaluation Association, choosing the best measure--mean or median--depends on the type of data set. If you have values clustered together or if the data set is very large, mean is the best way to find the typical value. However, median is a better choice if the data set includes outliers, especially for smaller samples.

References

• Stat Trek: Statistics Measures of Central Tendency
• Northwest Evaluation Association: Mean vs. Median