VNQ vs SCHH Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
VNQ and SCHH both provide diversified U.S. REIT exposure, with SCHH's 0.07% expense ratio versus VNQ's 0.13% being the primary differentiator for long-term investors. VNQ has dramatically more AUM and liquidity, making it the better trading vehicle. SCHH offers better cost efficiency for long-term buy-and-hold investors who do not need maximum liquidity.
VNQ vs SCHH is a cost-versus-liquidity trade-off for near-identical U.S. REIT exposure — investors who prioritize cost minimization choose SCHH, while investors who prioritize maximum liquidity or plan to trade actively choose VNQ.
SCHH holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. SCHH has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+17.35% vs +14.06% for VNQ).
- prefer the most liquid REIT ETF with the largest AUM and tightest bid-ask spreads for frequent trading
- value Vanguard's brand and ownership structure for long-term REIT sector exposure
- want broad real estate coverage including real estate operating companies alongside REITs
- are comfortable paying 0.13% expense ratio for significantly better execution quality than SCHH
- prefer the lowest cost U.S. REIT ETF (0.07%) for buy-and-hold income-oriented real estate exposure
- value REIT-only purity without real estate operating company inclusions
- want position-capped REIT exposure to prevent over-concentration in any single large REIT
- are comfortable with lower daily trading volume and slightly wider bid-ask spreads in exchange for cost savings
| Metric | VNQ | SCHH |
|---|---|---|
| ETF scorei | 24.8 | 24.8 |
| Latest closei | $98.03 | $23.99 |
| 1M returni | +9.96% | +9.79% |
| 3M returni | -0.04% | -0.15% |
| 6M returni | +2.74% | +3.06% |
| 1Y returni | +14.06% | +17.35% |
The ETF score weights long-term returns and risk-adjusted performance most heavily, but still rewards low expense ratios, larger fund size, and broader diversification — so it can favor low-cost, broad, mega-cap funds over smaller thematic or actively-managed funds even when the latter have delivered stronger returns.
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | VNQ | SCHH |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $11.84K (+18.4%) started 2025-11-04 | $12.1K (+21.0%) started 2025-11-04 |
| 5Y ago | $13.4K (+34.0%) started 2021-11-05 | $13.11K (+31.1%) started 2021-11-05 |
| 10Y ago | $29.55K (+195.5%) started 2016-11-07 | $22.49K (+124.9%) started 2016-11-07 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | VNQ | SCHH |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratioi | 0.13% | 0.07% |
| Total assets (AUM)i | $68.1B | $11.04B |
| Dividend yieldi | 3.63% | 2.94% |
| Trailing P/Ei | 31.03 | 30.28 |
| Betai | 0.96 | 0.92 |
| 52-week change | 14.06% | 17.35% |
| Metric | VNQ | SCHH |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y returni | +14.06% | +17.35% |
| 6M returni | +2.74% | +3.06% |
| 3M returni | -0.04% | -0.15% |
| 1M returni | +9.96% | +9.79% |
| 1Y Sharpe ratio | 0.69 | 0.89 |
| Betai | 0.96 | 0.92 |
| Dividend yieldi | 3.63% | 2.94% |
| 5Y CAGR | +1.61% | +2.27% |
Over the past year, VNQ and SCHH have moved strongly in the same direction (correlation of 0.99), based on daily returns.
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | VNQ | SCHH |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | +14.06% | +17.35% |
| CAGRi | +14.07% | +17.36% | |
| Volatilityi | 14.10% | 14.12% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.69 | 0.89 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 1.03 | 1.32 | |
| Max drawdowni | 11.38% | 11.84% | |
| Current drawdowni | 2.05% | 2.77% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 2.91% | 3.02% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 4.08% | 4.29% | |
| Max daily dropi | 3.10% | 3.31% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 4.81% | 4.94% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | +8.28% | +11.87% |
| CAGRi | +1.61% | +2.27% | |
| Volatilityi | 18.95% | 18.82% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | -0.06 | -0.03 | |
| Sortino ratioi | -0.08 | -0.04 | |
| Max drawdowni | 34.48% | 33.28% | |
| Current drawdowni | 2.05% | 2.77% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 14.71% | 13.88% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 17.02% | 16.20% | |
| Max daily dropi | 5.00% | 4.95% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 12.07% | 12.03% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +82.03% | +61.63% |
| CAGRi | +6.18% | +4.92% | |
| Volatilityi | 20.69% | 20.96% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.18 | 0.12 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.24 | 0.16 | |
| Max drawdowni | 42.40% | 44.22% | |
| Current drawdowni | 2.05% | 2.77% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 10.22% | 10.66% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 13.68% | 14.21% | |
| Max daily dropi | 17.73% | 18.18% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 24.91% | 25.85% |
| Category | VNQ | SCHH |
|---|---|---|
| Fund name | Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund ETF Shares | Schwab U.S. REIT ETF |
| Type | ETF | ETF |
| Expense ratioi | 0.13% | 0.07% |
| Total assets (AUM)i | $68.1B | $11.04B |
| Dividend yieldi | 3.63% | 2.94% |
- Broadest REIT ETF by holdings, covering all major real estate subsectors including modern REITs (data centers, cell towers)
- 0.13% expense ratio is low for the REIT category and leverages Vanguard's cost minimization structure
- Very high AUM ($35B+) provides excellent secondary market liquidity for retail and institutional investors
- 0.07% expense ratio is nearly half of VNQ's 0.13%, saving meaningful costs in a sector where returns are often modest
- REIT-only focus (no operating companies) provides purer REIT sector exposure
- Position capping reduces concentration risk from the largest REITs that might otherwise dominate cap-weighted indices
- REITs are highly sensitive to rising interest rates, which both increase borrowing costs and make REIT yields less attractive versus bonds
- Broad coverage includes underperforming legacy retail and office REITs alongside high-growth data center and industrial REITs
- REIT dividends are typically taxed as ordinary income (not qualified dividends), reducing after-tax yield for investors in high tax brackets
- Smaller AUM ($7B vs VNQ's $35B) results in wider bid-ask spreads and less institutional liquidity than VNQ
- Lower brand recognition and trading volume may make it less suitable for investors who need to transact frequently
- Same interest rate sensitivity as all REIT ETFs — rising rates hurt REIT valuations regardless of which REIT ETF is held
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