Midrange Calculator

Find the midrange of any dataset — the midpoint between the smallest and largest values, computed as (maximum + minimum) / 2.

Quick Facts

Formula
Midrange = (maximum + minimum) / 2
A measure of central tendency using only the two extreme values.

Your Results

Calculated
Midrange
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(max + min) / 2
Minimum
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Smallest value
Maximum
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Largest value
Range
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max − min

Ready

Enter your data set and click Calculate.

What the midrange is

The midrange is a measure of central tendency that marks the exact midpoint between the two most extreme observations in a dataset. It is defined by a single formula:

Midrange = (maximum + minimum) / 2

Because it depends only on the largest and smallest values, the midrange ignores everything in between. For the set {12, 7, 22, 4, 18, 9, 15}, the minimum is 4 and the maximum is 22, so the midrange is (22 + 4) / 2 = 13. Notice that this is different from the mean of that same set (which is about 12.43) and the median (12) — the three measures agree only for perfectly symmetric data.

How to compute it by hand

  • Step 1. Scan the dataset for the smallest value (the minimum).
  • Step 2. Scan for the largest value (the maximum).
  • Step 3. Add the minimum and maximum together.
  • Step 4. Divide that sum by 2. The result is the midrange.

You do not need to sort the whole list or count how many values there are — only the two extremes matter. This is what makes the midrange the fastest measure of center to calculate.

Why the midrange is used

The midrange is common in meteorology, where the "average daily temperature" reported by many weather services is literally the midrange of the day's high and low: (high + low) / 2. It also appears as a quick eyeball estimate of center, as the midpoint of a uniform distribution, and in setting the center of an interval or axis when you only know the endpoints. Because it is trivial to compute, it is often taught alongside the mean, median, and mode as a fourth simple measure of central tendency.

Midrange compared with mean, median, and mode

  • Mean: the sum of all values divided by the count. Uses every data point.
  • Median: the middle value once the data is sorted. Robust to outliers.
  • Mode: the most frequently occurring value.
  • Midrange: the average of only the maximum and minimum. Fastest to compute, but the least robust — a single extreme value can swing it dramatically.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the midrange in statistics?
The midrange is a measure of central tendency equal to the average of the largest and smallest values in a dataset: midrange = (maximum + minimum) / 2. It is the midpoint of the data's range and depends only on those two extreme values, not on anything in between.
How is the midrange different from the mean and median?
The mean averages every value, and the median is the middle value once the data is sorted. The midrange uses only the maximum and minimum. Because it ignores everything in between, the midrange is the quickest to compute but the most sensitive to outliers — for skewed or noisy data the mean or median is usually a better summary of the center.
Is the midrange affected by outliers?
Yes, strongly. The midrange is defined entirely by the two extreme values, so a single unusually high or low reading moves it directly. One measurement error at the top or bottom of the dataset can shift the midrange far more than it would shift the mean or median. If your data may contain outliers, prefer the median.
Can the midrange be a number that is not in the dataset?
Yes. The midrange is the midpoint between the min and max, so it frequently falls between actual data points and need not equal any observed value. For {4, 22} the midrange is 13, which is not in the set. It can also be a decimal even when all data are integers — for {3, 8} the midrange is 5.5.

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