Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Counting with Subtotals.

Counting with Subtotals

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 19, 2024)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365

Suppose that you have two adjacent columns of data. In the first column you have a list of names and in the second column a list of states. If you want to find out how many people live in each state, you can use the subtotaling features of Excel. To use this feature to answer your query, follow these steps:

  1. Make sure there are column heads on each column, such as "Name" and "State." (The subtotaling feature requires the presence of column heads.)
  2. Sort the columns by the values in the second (states) column.
  3. Make sure one of the cells is still selected in either of the columns.
  4. Display the Data tab of the ribbon.
  5. In the Outline group click the Subtotal tool. Excel displays the Subtotal dialog box. (See Figure 1.)

    6. Figure 1. The Name/State Fields of the Subtotal dialog box.

  6. Make sure the At Each Change In drop-down list is set to State. (Use the name of the second column.) This indicates where Excel will insert subtotals.
  7. The Use Function drop-down list should be set to Count.
  8. Using the list in the Add Subtotal To box, choose the columns to which subtotals should be added.
  9. Make sure the Summary Below Data check box is selected.
  10. Click on OK.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (8035) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Counting with Subtotals.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Skipping Numbering

Got a numbered list, but you want to add other types of non-numbered paragraphs in the middle of the list? It's easy to ...

Discover More

Returning a Weight and a Date

If you have two columns containing dates and weights from those dates, you may want to pick a date associated with a ...

Discover More

Creating Compound Characters

Word provides access to a wide variety of characters either from the keyboard or from the Symbol dialog box. Up and above ...

Discover More

Best-Selling VBA Tutorial for Beginners Take your Excel knowledge to the next level. With a little background in VBA programming, you can go well beyond basic spreadsheets and functions. Use macros to reduce errors, save time, and integrate with other Microsoft applications. Fully updated for the latest version of Office 365. Check out Microsoft 365 Excel VBA Programming For Dummies today!

More ExcelTips (ribbon)

Leaving Trace Precedents Turned On

The Trace Precedents auditing tool can be quite helpful in seeing which cells "feed into" a particular formula. The ...

Discover More

Turning Off Track Changes without Unsharing

The Track Changes tool in Excel can be helpful, but it can also be aggravating because it doesn't allow you to use it on ...

Discover More

Moving Subtotals

When you add subtotals to a worksheet, Excel typically places them in the same column that you are subtotaling. If you ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is seven more than 3?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

This Site

Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.