Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 15, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021
Dan has a worksheet that contains information about homes sold in his community. The sheet has a number of columns, two of which are Sale Date and Selling Price. Dan would like to calculate an average sales price for sales made between a starting and ending Sale Date. He could filter the data and then calculate an average, but he would rather just come up with a formula that returned the value. He's not sure how to go about that, however.
There are actually a number of different ways you can get the average you seek. Let's assume, for the sake of example, that you select all the cells that contain the sale dates and give that range the name SaleDate. Further, you define the name SellingPrice to refer to the range that contains the selling prices. Finally, you define cells for StartDate and EndDate (their contents should be self-explanatory). Given this, you could use a formula such as this:
=AVERAGEIFS(SellingPrice, SaleDate, ">=" & StartDate, SaleDate, "<=" & EndDate)
As I said, there are other formulas you could use, as well. Here are just two:
=AVERAGE(IF((SaleDate >= StartDate) * (SaleDate <= EndDate), SellingPrice)) =AVERAGE(FILTER(SellingPrice, ((SaleDate >= StartDate) * (SaleDate <= EndDate))))
Which one should you use? It really doesn't matter in this case; it is entirely up to you. Each returns the exact same result, and you don't need to worry about sorting your data in any particular order.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (12809) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021.
Solve Real Business Problems Master business modeling and analysis techniques with Excel and transform data into bottom-line results. This hands-on, scenario-focused guide shows you how to use the latest Excel tools to integrate data from multiple tables. Check out Microsoft Excel 2013 Data Analysis and Business Modeling today!
Using Excel to maintain lists of information is not unusual. When working with the list you may need to determine how ...
Discover MoreIf you want to add a dynamic statement to a worksheet that indicates how many rows are in a data table, you might be at a ...
Discover MoreWhen Excel performs a calculation, the results you see in an unformatted cell may cause a bit of concern. This tip ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2022-01-19 18:26:54
Chris
@Sidney Kaine - if you still have questions after reading MS' post, feel free to reach out to me and I can talk you through whatever you're struggling with. Here's my e-mail address that I check a couple times a week to help users with EXCEL questions - reaume17@gmail.com
@Dan (the person who originally asked this question to Allen) - feel free to contact me as well if you have any follow-up questions
2022-01-15 18:09:46
MS
As asked ... Here is an example with cell ranges instead of named ranges. I used a sample of 3 sales.
I put the formula in cell A2. =AVERAGEIFS(B5:B7, A5:A7, ">=" & B1, A5:A7, "<=" & B2)
Cell B1 contains the start date. I used 1/1/2022.
Cell B2 contains the end date. I used 1/10/2022.
Cells A5, A6, and A7 contain the sale dates. I used 1/1/2022, 1/15/2022, and 1/10/2022.
Cells B5, B6, and B7 contain the selling prices. I used 100000, 150000, and 200000.
The formula returns 150000.
Hope this helps.
2022-01-15 12:10:53
Could someone please show the below formula filled in with actual cell references. There are a few things I find confusing, ie if the " need to be added and the spaces within the formula need to be added, etc. A small set of numbers with a completed formula would help me a lot.
=AVERAGEIFS(SellingPrice, SaleDate, ">=" & StartDate, SaleDate, "<=" & EndDate)
Thank you,
Sidney
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.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments