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 (+13.08% vs +10.54% 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 score | 52.0 | 45.0 |
| Latest close | $95.56 | $23.38 |
| 1M return | +0.29% | +0.17% |
| 6M return | +9.02% | +12.36% |
| 1Y return | +10.54% | +13.08% |
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 | $11.5K (+15.0%) started 2025-06-18 | $11.67K (+16.7%) started 2025-06-18 |
| 5Y ago | $13.99K (+39.9%) started 2021-06-18 | $13.74K (+37.4%) started 2021-06-18 |
| 10Y ago | $26.84K (+168.4%) started 2016-06-20 | $20.49K (+104.9%) started 2016-06-20 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | VNQ | SCHH |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 0.13% | 0.07% |
| Total assets (AUM) | $69.8B | $9.98B |
| Dividend yield | 3.64% | 2.78% |
| Trailing P/E | 30.54 | 30.51 |
| Beta | 1.00 | 0.97 |
| 52-week change | 10.54% | 13.08% |
| Metric | VNQ | SCHH |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y return | +10.54% | +13.08% |
| 6M return | +9.02% | +12.36% |
| 1M return | +0.29% | +0.17% |
| 1Y Sharpe ratio | 0.47 | 0.64 |
| Beta | 1.00 | 0.97 |
| Dividend yield | 3.64% | 2.78% |
| 5Y CAGR | +2.58% | +3.35% |
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 | Growth | +10.54% | +13.08% |
| CAGR | +10.54% | +13.08% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.47 | 0.64 | |
| Max drawdown | 8.34% | 8.28% | |
| Max daily drop | 3.10% | 3.31% | |
| Max wkly drop | 4.81% | 4.94% | |
| 5Y | Growth | +13.58% | +17.92% |
| CAGR | +2.58% | +3.35% | |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.01 | 0.03 | |
| Max drawdown | 34.48% | 33.28% | |
| Max daily drop | 5.00% | 4.95% | |
| Max wkly drop | 12.07% | 12.03% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +65.68% | +47.94% |
| CAGR | +5.18% | +4.00% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.13 | 0.08 | |
| Max drawdown | 42.40% | 44.22% | |
| Max daily drop | 17.73% | 18.18% | |
| Max wkly drop | 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 ratio | 0.13% | 0.07% |
| Total assets (AUM) | $69.8B | $9.98B |
| Dividend yield | 3.64% | 2.78% |
- →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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