Comparison
Range Plot
Horizontal min-max range bars per category — Tufte's range-frame style for compact range comparisons.
Daily Temperature Range by City
Annual min, median, max (°F)
View data (6 rows)
| Min | Max | Median | City |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 92 | 56 | Chicago |
| 22 | 96 | 60 | Denver |
| 20 | 90 | 56 | Boston |
| 58 | 108 | 88 | Phoenix |
| 36 | 86 | 60 | Seattle |
| 64 | 94 | 81 | Miami |
Use a range plot when…
- Showing the spread (min-max) per category
- Comparing observed ranges across cities, products, time windows
- When you want median context without a full box plot
Avoid when…
- Distributional shape matters (use box or violin)
- You only have a pair of named endpoints (use dumbbell)
Data it needs
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Min Rows | 3 |
| Min Columns | 3 |
| Column Types | stringnumbernumber |
| Notes | Label column + min/max columns are required; an optional median column is recommended whenever available. |
Visual anatomy
Marks
rectangleline
Channels
position-x (range)position-y
Axes
x-quantitativey-categorical
Guiding principles
Consider instead
Common mistakes
Plotting min-max without a median when one is available
Truncating the value axis
History
Edward Tufte's range-frame variant (Visual Display, 1983) inspired the simplified range bar.
Accessibility notes
Report min, max, and median in the tooltip. Provide a data table fallback.
Related reading
Got data? Let's see what works.
Drop your CSV. You'll get a Range Plot plus four alternatives - ranked by which one actually fits your data best.