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VAR
VAR calculates the sample variance (n-1 denominator) of a range, ignoring text and logical values. Variance quantifies the average squared deviation from the mean and is the foundation of many statistical tests. It equals STDEV squared.
Excel
=VAR(B2:B5)Google Sheets
=VAR(B2:B5)✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| Month | Expense |
| Jan | 3100 |
| Feb | 4200 |
| Mar | 2800 |
| Apr | 3900 |
=VAR(B2:B5)→433333.333333333
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How it works
- 1Reference your sample range: =VAR(B2:B5).
- 2VAR uses n-1 (Bessel's correction) for an unbiased sample estimate.
- 3The result is in squared units; take SQRT() to get standard deviation, or use STDEV directly.
Need a version for your data?
Try: “Calculate the variance of monthly expenses to understand spending volatility”