Skip to content
Allin
Sign up · Sign in

Average Deviation Calculator (mean absolute deviation)

The average absolute deviation from the mean AND from the median — the median is the point that minimises it, which is worth seeing. Every |x − centre| is listed, and the standard deviation sits beside it for contrast: squaring makes SD react hard to a single outlier while the average deviation barely moves. The outlier preset is built to show exactly that.

Related tools

All Statistics & probability tools →
Mean absolute deviation (MAD) calculatorCompute the mean absolute deviation of a data set around its mean.Median absolute deviation calculatorA robust measure of spread: the median of the absolute distances from the median. It shrugs off outliers where the standard deviation would blow up. Multiply by 1.4826 to estimate the standard deviation of clean data.Average (mean) calculatorCompute the mean, sum and count of a list of numbers.Quartile Deviation CalculatorCompute the semi-interquartile range and its coefficient, a spread measure that the extreme values cannot distort.Sample Standard Deviation CalculatorCompute the sample standard deviation (n−1), variance, mean and detect outliers.Root Mean Square CalculatorRMS shown next to the plain mean, because on signed data the mean collapses to nearly zero while the RMS holds the magnitude that actually matters. Also gives the crest factor, the sum of squares and each value's share of it.Sample Mean CalculatorCompute the sample mean, sum, count and range of a set of numbers.Relative Risk CalculatorCompute relative risk, odds ratio, confidence interval, absolute risk reduction and NNT from a 2×2 table of exposed and unexposed groups.

Average Deviation Calculator (mean absolute deviation) is free to use as often as you like, directly from this page. Its place is under Statistics & probability; Mean absolute deviation (MAD) calculator and Median absolute deviation calculator answer the questions closest to this one.

How to use it

  1. Open the tool — no signup or install needed.
  2. Enter your input or adjust the available options.
  3. Get your result instantly, then copy or download it.

Frequently asked questions

What is Average Deviation Calculator (mean absolute deviation)?

The average absolute deviation from the mean AND from the median — the median is the point that minimises it, which is worth seeing. Every |x − centre| is listed, and the standard deviation sits beside it for contrast: squaring makes SD react hard to a single outlier while the average deviation barely moves. The outlier preset is built to show exactly that.

When would I actually use this?

Summarising a dataset before drawing conclusions from it, checking whether a difference between two groups is real, and putting an interval around an estimate.

What is the most common mistake?

Reading a p-value as the probability that the hypothesis is wrong. It is the probability of seeing data at least this extreme if the null were true — a different statement, and a much weaker one.

How is Average Deviation Calculator (mean absolute deviation) different from Mean absolute deviation (MAD) calculator?

They sit next to each other but answer different questions: Mean absolute deviation (MAD) calculator is the one to open when you need it to compute the mean absolute deviation of a data set around its mean. Pick whichever matches what you're starting from — both are free.

Is there a tool for the next step?

Median absolute deviation calculator is the closest one after this: A robust measure of spread: the median of the absolute distances from the median. It shrugs off outliers where the standard deviation would blow up. Multiply by 1.4826 to estimate the standard deviation of clean data.

What else is worth having open alongside it?

Average (mean) calculator and Quartile Deviation Calculator — they come up in the same task often enough to be worth a second tab.

Where do the figures come from?

Distributions and test statistics are computed from their standard definitions, not from a lookup table, so results carry more digits than a printed table would. The assumptions each test makes are stated with it.

Further reading

All guides →
How-toHow to Calculate Standard Deviation (Step by Step)Standard deviation measures how spread out your data is. Here's the formula, a worked example, and the difference between population and sample.ExplainerMean, Median and Mode: What's the Difference?Mean, median and mode all describe the 'middle' of your data — but answer different questions. Here's what each means, with examples and when to use which.ExplainerRelative Risk and Absolute Risk Are Not the Same StoryA headline saying 50% higher risk can describe a change of two-tenths of a percentage point. Both numbers come from the same 2x2 table, and computing both takes one line each — here is how, with a worked example, number needed to treat, and where the odds ratio stops approximating relative risk.ExplainerProbability Basics, With ExamplesProbability measures how likely something is, from 0 to 1. Here's the basic idea, how to combine events with AND and OR, and the complement.How-toPercentage Change: Increase and DecreaseSubtract old from new, divide by the old value, times 100. Here's the formula, why increases and decreases aren't symmetric, and where it's used.How-toLCM and GCD ExplainedThe GCD is the biggest shared divisor; the LCM is the smallest shared multiple. Here's what each means, how to find them with prime factors, and the shortcut linking them.