In a certain community, the median per-family annual income is $80,000. The
Mean per-family income is $100,000, whereas the mode is $71,000.
-the most appropriate measure of central tendency in this distribution Would yield a value of
A) $80,000
B) $100,000
C) $71,000
D) none of these values could yield a measure of central tendency

Question

In a certain community, the median per-family annual income is $80,000.  The 
Mean per-family income is $100,000, whereas the mode is $71,000.
-the most appropriate measure of central tendency in this distribution Would yield a value of
A) $80,000
B) $100,000
C) $71,000
D) none of these values could yield a measure of central tendency

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The median is the middle value when the data is sorted in order, and since it is given that the median is $80,000, it is a valid measure of central tendency. 
The mode, which is the most common value, is often not a good measure of central tendency for skewed distributions such as this one. 
The mean, which is the sum of all values divided by the number of values, is affected by outliers and can be distorted in skewed distributions, as it is in this case ($100,000 is higher than the median and influenced by higher earners). Therefore, the best choice among the options is the median, as it is not influenced by extreme values.

In a Certain Community, the Median Per-Family Annual Income Is