Range Calculator
Paste a list of numbers to get the range — the distance between the highest and lowest values — with both extremes and the midrange shown.
Range
Lowest value
0Highest value
789Midrange
394.5Mean
143.4167How many values
6How to use this calculator
- Type or paste at least two numbers, separated by commas, spaces or new lines. Order does not matter.
- Read the range at the top, with the two values it came from beside it. The working line under the box shows the subtraction.
- Compare the midrange with the mean. When they are far apart, the data is lopsided and the range is being driven by one extreme value.
How to calculate the range
The range is the simplest measure of spread there is: one subtraction, using only the two values at the ends.
Range = Highest value − Lowest value
- Highest — the largest value in the set, e.g. 789
- Lowest — the smallest value in the set, e.g. 0
- Range — the distance between them, e.g. 789
Because only the extremes count, two data sets with completely different shapes can share a range. That is the measure's weakness and its usefulness: it says how wide the data is, and nothing at all about how it is distributed inside that width.
Worked examples
| Data set | Lowest and highest | Range |
|---|---|---|
| 45, 789, 0.5, 25, 1, 0 | 0 to 789 | 789 |
| 12, 14, 15, 13, 16 | 12 to 16 | 4 |
| −8, 3, 11 | −8 to 11 | 19 |
| 7 | 7 to 7 | 0 |
The first and second rows are the point of the measure. Both sets have five or six values, but one spans 789 and the other spans 4 — and no average would have told you that.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate the range?
Subtract the smallest value from the largest. For 45, 789, 0.5, 25, 1 and 0 the highest is 789 and the lowest is 0, so the range is 789. Nothing in between affects it.
Can the range be negative?
No. The largest value is never smaller than the smallest, so the range is always zero or more. A range of zero means every value in the set is identical.
Does the range work with negative numbers?
Yes, and it is the distance between them that counts. From −8 to 11 the range is 19, because 11 − (−8) = 19. Subtracting a negative adds, which is why the answer is larger than either value.
Why is the range a weak measure of spread?
Because it uses only two values and throws away everything else. One unusual reading can multiply it several times over while the rest of the data has not moved. For a measure that uses every value, look at standard deviation instead.
What is the midrange?
The midpoint of the two extremes: the highest plus the lowest, divided by two. It sits at the centre of the range rather than the centre of the data, so it can be far from both the mean and the median when the values are lopsided.
How many values do I need?
At least two for a range to mean anything. A single value has a range of zero, which is true but not informative, so the calculator asks for two or more.