Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
VGLT vs VNQ: how they differ
VGLT is a bond index fund and VNQ an equity index fund, and over the year VNQ returned more, +5.6% against −5.4%.
Vanguard Long-Term Treasury Index Fund and Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund.
| VGLT Vanguard Long-Term Treasury Index Fund | VNQ Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | Vanguard | Vanguard |
| What it is | Long-term Treasury | US real estate |
| Total return, 1 year | −5.4% | +5.6% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −22.9 pts | −11.9 pts |
| Expense ratio | not published | 0.13% |
| Holdings | not filed | 146 |
VGLT in plain words
VGLT is a bond fund tracking the Long-term Treasury. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −5.4% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. It sat 39.2% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Sep 11, 2026.
VNQ in plain words
VNQ is an index equity fund tracking the US real estate. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +5.6% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.13% a year. By its holdings filed for Apr 30, 2026, 63% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 146 positions, with the top ten at 54.9%. It sat 6.1% below its high of Jul 28, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VGLT or VNQ?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VGLT returned −5.4% and VNQ returned +5.6%, so VNQ returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Other comparisons
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, VGLT against VNQ, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/VGLT-VNQ Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources