Variance Calculator
Variance measures how far values spread from the mean: σ² = Σ(x − μ)² ÷ n.
Calculator
Use the Variance Calculator
Result
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Formula
σ² = Σ(x − μ)² ÷ n
Step-by-step
- 1
Enter values
List your numbers, separated by commas.
- 2
Read the variance
Larger variance means more spread.
Worked example
Example input: numbers: 2,4,6
Result: 2.6667
Related tools
- Standard Deviation
Square root of variance.
Frequently asked questions
How is the variance computed here?
As the mean of squared deviations: take each number, subtract the average, square the result, then average them all. For 2 and 4 the mean is 3 and the variance is (1 + 1) / 2 = 1. Squaring does that on purpose: deviations below the average grab equal weight, and signs stop cancelling each other out.
Does this page use population or sample variance?
Population variance — the sum divides by N, the count itself. For a sample estimate divide by N-1 instead; for N = 5 that means multiplying the printed value by 5/4 to convert.
What units does the variance carry?
Squared units of the data: a distance variance of 9 means 9 square meters even though the data was meters. Take the square root for standard deviation to return to plain units.