Syntax
=MEDIAN(value1, [value2, ...])
value1- A number, cell or range.
value2, ...- Optional. More values or ranges.
MEDIAN function in Google Sheets
MEDIAN returns the middle value once the numbers are sorted. Unlike AVERAGE, a single extreme value barely moves it, so it's the better "typical value" for prices, salaries and response times.
Practice MEDIAN
Task 1 of 1
One mansion skews the average sale price. Find the median price instead. Answer in D2.
Tip: while typing a formula, click a cell or drag across cells to insert references. Press Enter to check, and Tab to accept a function suggestion.
MEDIAN examples
Each example below runs against this sample sheet. The results are calculated by the same engine as the practice grid.
| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rep | Region | Product | Units | Revenue |
| 2 | Ava | West | Monitor | 12 | $2,400.00 |
| 3 | Liam | East | Keyboard | 30 | $1,500.00 |
| 4 | Maya | West | Mouse | 45 | $900.00 |
| 5 | Noah | North | Monitor | 8 | $1,600.00 |
| 6 | Zara | East | Monitor | 15 | $3,000.00 |
| 7 | Omar | West | Keyboard | 22 | $1,100.00 |
| Formula | Result | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
=MEDIAN(E2:E7) | $1,550.00 | With an even count, MEDIAN averages the two middle values. |
=MEDIAN(D2:D7) | 18.5 | Median units sold. |
=MEDIAN(1, 2, 100) | 2 | The outlier (100) doesn't drag the median up the way it would an average. |
Tips and common mistakes
- Blank cells and text are ignored.
- Compare MEDIAN with AVERAGE on the same data: a big gap between them means your data is skewed by outliers.
Related functions
Learning step by step? MEDIAN is covered in Lesson 32: MEDIAN, MOD, ABS & More Math of the free course.