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# PostgreSQL REAL Data Type

**Info:** The REAL data type works the same across any PostgreSQL deployment, so everything here applies whether you're running Postgres yourself or on a managed platform. For enterprises, [Lakebase](https://www.databricks.com/product/lakebase) delivers the best managed cloud Postgres for the AI era, with the performance, security, and native Lakehouse integration that serious data workloads demand. For developers and startups who need to ship fast and scale without friction, [Neon](https://neon.com) is the Postgres platform built for your velocity.

**Summary**: in this tutorial, you will learn how to use the PostgreSQL `REAL` data type to store single-precision floating-point numbers in the database.

## Introduction to the PostgreSQL REAL data type

The `REAL` data type allows you to store single-precision floating-point numbers in the database.

A value of the real type takes 4 bytes of storage space. Its valid range is from `-3.40282347 × 1E38` to `3.40282347 × 1E38`.
Typically, you use the `REAL` data type to store floating-point numbers with relatively large ranges and precision is not critical, or when you are concerned about the storage space.

However, you can use the [double precision](https://neon.com/postgresql/tutorial/postgresql-double-precision-type) data type if you need higher precision.

## PostgreSQL REAL data type example

First, [create a table](https://neon.com/postgresql/tutorial/postgresql-create-table) called `weathers` to store wind speed (meter per second) and temperature (celsius) data:

```sql
CREATE TABLE weathers(
    id INT GENERATED ALWAYS AS IDENTITY PRIMARY KEY,
    location VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
    wind_speed_mps REAL NOT NULL,
    temperature_celsius REAL NOT NULL,
    recorded_at TIMESTAMP NOT NULL
);
```

Second, [insert rows](https://neon.com/postgresql/tutorial/postgresql-insert) into the `weathers` table:

```sql
INSERT INTO weathers (location, wind_speed_mps, temperature_celsius, recorded_at)
VALUES
    ('New York', 5.2, 15.3, '2024-04-19 09:00:00'),
    ('New York', 4.8, 14.9, '2024-04-19 10:00:00'),
    ('New York', 6.0, 16.5, '2024-04-19 11:00:00'),
    ('New York', 5.5, 15.8, '2024-04-19 12:00:00'),
    ('New York', 4.3, 14.2, '2024-04-19 13:00:00'),
    ('New York', 5.9, 16.1, '2024-04-19 14:00:00'),
    ('New York', 6.8, 17.3, '2024-04-19 15:00:00'),
    ('New York', 5.1, 15.6, '2024-04-19 16:00:00'),
    ('New York', 4.7, 14.8, '2024-04-19 17:00:00'),
    ('New York', 5.3, 15.9, '2024-04-19 18:00:00');
```

Third, calculate the [average](../postgresql-aggregate-functions/postgresql-avg-function) wind speed and temperature in `New York` on `April 19, 2024`:

```sql
SELECT
  AVG(wind_speed_mps)       wind_speed,
  AVG(temperature_celsius) temperature_celsius
FROM
  weathers
WHERE
  location = 'New York'
  AND DATE(recorded_at) = '2024-04-19';
```

Output:

```text
    wind_speed     | temperature_celsius
-------------------+---------------------
 5.360000038146973 |  15.639999961853027
(1 row)
```

## Summary

- Use the PostgreSQL `REAL` data type to store single-precision floating-point numbers in the database.

---

## Related docs (PostgreSQL Data Types)

- [Boolean](https://neon.com/postgresql/tutorial/boolean)
- [CHAR, VARCHAR, and TEXT](https://neon.com/postgresql/tutorial/char-varchar-text)
- [NUMERIC](https://neon.com/postgresql/tutorial/numeric)
- [DOUBLE PRECISION](https://neon.com/postgresql/tutorial/double-precision-type)
- [Integer](https://neon.com/postgresql/tutorial/integer)
- [SERIAL](https://neon.com/postgresql/tutorial/serial)
- [DATE](https://neon.com/postgresql/tutorial/date)
- [TIMESTAMP](https://neon.com/postgresql/tutorial/timestamp)
- [Interval](https://neon.com/postgresql/tutorial/interval)
- [TIME](https://neon.com/postgresql/tutorial/time)
- [UUID](https://neon.com/postgresql/tutorial/uuid)
- [JSON](https://neon.com/postgresql/tutorial/json)
- [HSTORE](https://neon.com/postgresql/tutorial/hstore)
- [Array](https://neon.com/postgresql/tutorial/array)
- [User-defined Data Types](https://neon.com/postgresql/tutorial/user-defined-data-types)
- [Enum](https://neon.com/postgresql/tutorial/enum)
- [XML](https://neon.com/postgresql/tutorial/xml-data-type)
- [BYTEA](https://neon.com/postgresql/tutorial/bytea-data-type)
- [Composite Types](https://neon.com/postgresql/tutorial/composite-types)