jQuery :even Selector

What Is the :even Selector?

:even (since jQuery 1.0) selects elements at zero-based even indices in the matched set — 0, 2, 4, …. That means the first, third, fifth, and so on. Partner of :odd.

$("tr:even");               // rows at indices 0, 2, 4 …
$("li:even");               // first, third, fifth items
$("td:even");               // even cells in document order

// Preferred today (jQuery 3.5+):
$("tr").even();             // same as :even

How to Use :even

Build a matched set first, then keep even positions — or migrate to .even().

1. Select a set ($("tr"), $("li"), …).
2. Remember: index 0 is even — the first item matches.
3. Legacy: append :even · Modern: call .even() (3.5+).
4. For older jQuery without .even(), use .filter(":even").
5. Do not confuse with CSS :nth-child(even) (1-based, parent-relative).

Pseudocode

set = $(precedingSelector)   // indices 0 … length-1

call set.filter(":even")
  // or set.even()   // jQuery 3.5+

for each element at position i in set:
    if i % 2 === 0:
        include it

return the filtered jQuery set

Cheat Sheet

Keep these facts handy while filtering even indices.

Live Preview

Stripe table rows with :even, :odd, or modern .even().

Ready — click Run to filter rows.

jQuery Examples

Short, copy-ready snippets. Open DevTools, or use Try It Yourself for a live editor.

var rows = $("tr:even").map(function () {
  return $(this).text().trim();
}).get();
$("#out").text("Even rows:\n" + rows.join("\n"));

Even rows:
Row with Index #0
Row with Index #2

$("#out").text(
  ":even → " + $("tr:even").length + "\n" +
  ".even() → " + $("tr").even().length
);

:even → 2
.even() → 2

$("#out").text(
  "even → " + $("tr:even").map(function () {
    return $(this).text().trim();
  }).get().join(", ") + "\n" +
  "odd → " + $("tr:odd").map(function () {
    return $(this).text().trim();
  }).get().join(", ")
);

even → Row with Index #0, Row with Index #2
odd → Row with Index #1, Row with Index #3

$("#out").text(
  "First li text: " + $("li").eq(0).text() + "\n" +
  "First :even text: " + $("li:even").eq(0).text() + "\n" +
  "Same? " + ($("li").eq(0).text() === $("li:even").eq(0).text())
);

First li text: Apple
First :even text: Apple
Same? true

var labels = $("li").filter(":even").map(function () {
  return $(this).text();
}).get();
$("#out").text(labels.join(", "));

Apple, Cherry, Elderberry

Performance Notes

Because :even is a jQuery extension, the engine cannot hand the whole query to the browser. Select with CSS, then .even() or .filter(":even").

Key Takeaways