Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
IYR vs VGLT: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, IYR returned +3.4% to VGLT's −6.7%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $3.9bn on Oct 28, 2026 for iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF, and $10.4bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Long-Term Treasury ETF.
Pair scorecard
VGLT costs 0.34 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 10.1 points; VGLT is 2.5 times larger.
| Measure | IYR | VGLT |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +3.4% | −6.7% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 8.6%, high on Jul 28, 2026 | 38.8%, high on Aug 4, 2020 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Capped Index | Bloomberg U.S. Long Treasury Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.37% | 0.03% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $4.2bn | $10.4bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 80% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 52.5% | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Dec 4, 2009 to Oct 23, 2026 · 881 weekly returnsIYR returned more: +279.5% to +46.2%. VGLT swung less: 12.7% to 20.1%. IYR fell less at its worst: −39.3% to −45.6%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | IYR | VGLT | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +279.5% | +46.2% | IYR | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +8.2% | +2.3% | IYR | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +116.5% | −13.0% | IYR | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 20.1% | 12.7% | VGLT | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 14.1% | 9.1% | VGLT | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −39.3% | −45.6% | IYR | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.42 | 0.12 | IYR | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.60 | 0.17 | IYR | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.21 | 0.05 | IYR | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 881 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, IYR and VGLT hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
IYR and VGLT on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
IYR and VGLT do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. IYR follows Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Capped Index and VGLT follows Bloomberg U.S. Long Treasury Index.
- Holdings in common. 0% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Oct 27, 2026 and Sep 30, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 IYR returned +3.4% and VGLT −6.7% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 10.1 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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IYR
IYR tracks an index of U.S. Real Estate. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +3.4% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.37% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 80% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 59 positions, with the top ten at 52.5%. It sat 8.6% below its high of Jul 28, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
VGLT
VGLT tracks an index of Long-term Treasury. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −6.7% with distributions reinvested, against −6.7% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Long Treasury Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. It sat 38.8% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, IYR or VGLT?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IYR returned +3.4% and VGLT −6.7%.
- Which is cheaper, IYR or VGLT?
- VGLT is cheaper, by 0.34 percentage points a year. That is about $34 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.
How this is computed
Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, IYR against VGLT, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iyr-vs-vglt
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). IYR against VGLT. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iyr-vs-vglt
[IYR against VGLT (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iyr-vs-vglt)
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