What is the expense ratio of SCHG vs VNQ?

SCHG has an expense ratio of 0.04%, while VNQ has an expense ratio of 0.12%.

SCHG vs VNQ

Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF vs Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-02

SCHG Schwab

Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF (SCHG) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Schwab that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. growth stocks with above-average earnings potential. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.04%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.43%. Launched in 2010, the fund has a 16-year track record.

AUM: N/A ER: 0.04% Yield: 0.43% Since: 2010-01-04

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

SCHG has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.04% vs 0.12%), saving about $159 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, SCHG has significantly outperformed with a 15.4% return vs -1.5%. Income investors may prefer VNQ for its higher yield (3.9% vs 0.4%).

Key Metrics

Metric	SCHG	VNQ
Expense Ratio	0.04%	0.12%
Dividend Yield	0.4%	3.9%
Fund Family	Schwab	Vanguard
Category	US Large Cap Growth	US Real Estate

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

SCHG +74.8%

VNQ -4.4%

Performance Comparison

Period	SCHG	VNQ	Difference
1 Month	-4.13%	-5.96%	+1.83%
3 Months	-9.62%	+1.37%	-10.99%
6 Months	-9.17%	-0.92%	-8.25%
YTD	-9.62%	+1.37%	-10.99%
1 Year	+15.38%	-1.54%	+16.92%
3 Years	+80.02%	+8.92%	+71.10%
5 Years	+74.77%	-4.43%	+79.20%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment	Period	SCHG Fees	VNQ Fees	You Save
$10,000	10 years	$80	$239	$159
$10,000	20 years	$344	$1,025	$681
$10,000	30 years	$1,112	$3,301	$2,189
$50,000	10 years	$399	$1,193	$794
$50,000	30 years	$5,560	$16,504	$10,943
$100,000	30 years	$11,121	$33,007	$21,886

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric	SCHG	VNQ
Annualized Volatility	22.3%	18.9%
Max Drawdown	-35.0%	-38.8%
Sharpe Ratio	0.41	-0.19

Dividend Comparison

Metric	SCHG	VNQ
Annual Dividend (per share)	$0.13	$3.49
Dividend Yield	0.43%	3.89%
Distribution Frequency	Quarterly	Quarterly

Top Holdings

VNQ Top Holdings

Name	Weight
Vanguard Real Estate II Index Fund	1451.51%
Welltower Inc	707.58%
Prologis Inc	688.22%
American Tower Corp	476.51%
Equinix Inc	456.02%
Simon Property Group Inc	354.53%
Digital Realty Trust Inc	321.26%
Realty Income Corp	314.90%
CBRE Group Inc	287.69%
Public Storage	247.55%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose SCHG if...

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

Choose SCHG 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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