ETF Versus

ITOT vs VNQ

iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF vs Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-02

ITOT iShares

iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (ITOT) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to the total U.S. stock market across all capitalizations. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.13%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: N/A ER: 0.03% Yield: 1.13% Since: 2004-01-23
VNQ Vanguard

Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund ETF Shares (VNQ) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to U.S. real estate investment trusts (REITs) and real estate companies. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.12%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.89%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $65.8B ER: 0.12% Yield: 3.89% Since: 2004-09-29

Quick Verdict

ITOT has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.03% vs 0.12%), saving about $179 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, ITOT has significantly outperformed with a 16.2% return vs -1.5%. Income investors may prefer VNQ for its higher yield (3.9% vs 1.1%).

Key Metrics

Metric ITOT VNQ
Expense Ratio 0.03% 0.12%
Dividend Yield 1.1% 3.9%
Fund Family iShares Vanguard
Category US Total Market US Real Estate

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 93 111 129 147 165 2021-04 2022-06 2023-10 2024-12 2026-04
ITOT +52.7%
VNQ -4.4%

Performance Comparison

Period ITOT VNQ Difference
1 Month -3.69% -5.96% +2.27%
3 Months -3.90% +1.37% -5.27%
6 Months -2.49% -0.92% -1.57%
YTD -3.90% +1.37% -5.27%
1 Year +16.22% -1.54% +17.76%
3 Years +57.85% +8.92% +48.93%
5 Years +52.70% -4.43% +57.13%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period ITOT Fees VNQ Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $60 $239 $179
$10,000 20 years $258 $1,025 $767
$10,000 30 years $835 $3,301 $2,466
$50,000 10 years $299 $1,193 $894
$50,000 30 years $4,176 $16,504 $12,328
$100,000 30 years $8,352 $33,007 $24,655

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric ITOT VNQ
Annualized Volatility 17.4% 18.9%
Max Drawdown -26.2% -38.8%
Sharpe Ratio 0.32 -0.19

Dividend Comparison

Metric ITOT VNQ
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.61 $3.49
Dividend Yield 1.13% 3.89%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

VNQ Top Holdings

NameWeight
Vanguard Real Estate II Index Fund1451.51%
Welltower Inc707.58%
Prologis Inc688.22%
American Tower Corp476.51%
Equinix Inc456.02%
Simon Property Group Inc354.53%
Digital Realty Trust Inc321.26%
Realty Income Corp314.90%
CBRE Group Inc287.69%
Public Storage247.55%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose ITOT if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose ITOT if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose VNQ if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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