Question

Here are the prices for biweekly lawn mowing services for 12 local companies:

15, 15, 20, 30, 30, 35, 40, 40, 40, 40, 50, 50, 50

Which measure of center—mean or median—best represents the shape of the distribution?

Answer 1

The median would be the best measure of center for this distribution because there are some extreme values (such as $15 and $50) that could skew the mean. The median would give a better representation of the typical price for biweekly lawn mowing services in this area.