Question: is the average the same as the median

Answer: No, The median is a commonly used measure of the properties of a data set in statistics and probability theory. The basic advantage of the median in describing data compared to the mean (often simply described as the ``average'') is that it is not skewed so much by extremely large or small values, and so it may give a better idea of a ``typical'' value. For example, in understanding statistics like household income or assets which vary greatly, a mean may be skewed by a small number of extremely high or low values. Median income, for example, may be a better way to suggest what a ``typical'' income is.