Is 500 ms a good reaction time?

500 ms is faster than under 1% of all Human Benchmark testers and under 1% of 25 to 34 year olds. That is slower than most testers, though age, hardware and tiredness all push the number up.

What is the average reaction time?

The mean in Human Benchmark's data is 262 ms across all ages: 242 ms at 18 to 24, 274 ms at 35 to 44 and 350 ms at 65 and over. The site's reported median is about 251 ms.

How rare is a 500 ms reaction time?

Across all ages, about under 1 in 10,000 testers are as slow or slower. For 18 to 24 year olds it is under 1 in 10,000; for people over 65, 1 in 79.

Is a 500 ms reaction time good?

A 500 ms reaction time is faster than under 1% of people who took Human Benchmark's test, and under 1% of 25 to 34 year olds. Among people 65 and over it is the 1st percentile.

Percentile

<1%

of testers are slower than 500 ms

500 ms

500 ms by group

By age group

Share of testers in each age group slower than 500 ms
Group	Mean	Slower than you	1 in X
18 to 24	242 ms	<1%	under 1 in 10,000
25 to 34	258 ms	<1%	under 1 in 10,000
35 to 44	274 ms	<1%	under 1 in 10,000
45 to 54	295 ms	<1%	1 in 3,154
55 to 64	320 ms	<1%	1 in 468
65 and over	350 ms	1%	1 in 79
All ages	262 ms	<1%	under 1 in 10,000

Percentile is the share of the group slower than this time, so a lower time gives a higher percentile. “1 in X” counts the rarer side: people at or beyond this value above the median, at or under it below. Percentiles are estimated from a normal distribution per age group.

What this means

Mean reaction time in this data rises about 20 ms per decade: 242 ms at 18 to 24, 350 ms at 65 and over. 500 ms is below the 1st percentile for the youngest group and the 1st percentile for the oldest.
Human Benchmark's numbers come from people who chose to take a reaction test, on their own screens. Display and input lag add 10 to 50 ms, so a 500 ms result partly measures your monitor.
This is also roughly where everyone lands after a short night or two drinks. Test rested, then judge.

Questions

Is 500 ms a good reaction time?: 500 ms is faster than under 1% of all Human Benchmark testers and under 1% of 25 to 34 year olds. That is slower than most testers, though age, hardware and tiredness all push the number up.
What is the average reaction time?: The mean in Human Benchmark's data is 262 ms across all ages: 242 ms at 18 to 24, 274 ms at 35 to 44 and 350 ms at 65 and over. The site's reported median is about 251 ms.
How rare is a 500 ms reaction time?: Across all ages, about under 1 in 10,000 testers are as slow or slower. For 18 to 24 year olds it is under 1 in 10,000; for people over 65, 1 in 79.

Source: Human Benchmark, aggregated reaction test results, 2024. A self-selected sample of people who take reaction tests, not the population. Percentiles on this page are our estimate from a normal distribution with the stated mean and SD.

Five trials, your age group, your percentile. About 20 seconds.

Test your reaction time