SCHD vs DGRO vs VIG vs NOBL vs VYM: Total Returns 2026

Over the last 10 years, $DGRO has the best total return of the five most popular dividend ETFs at 13.16% a year, just ahead of $VIG (12.86%) and $SCHD (12.44%), per each issuer's data as of September 30, 2026. $NOBL is last at 9.45% a year. In the head to head people search for most, $DGRO vs $NOBL, $DGRO has beaten $NOBL over 1, 5 and 10 years, and it's cheaper too: 0.08% versus 0.35%.

I've owned dividend ETFs for over 10 years, and this is the comparison I see argued about constantly. Everybody has a favorite. But the only fair way to settle it is total return: price change plus every dividend, reinvested. So let's put all five on the same scoreboard.

The scoreboard: total returns at NAV

These are average annual total returns at NAV from each issuer's own fund page or fact sheet, all for periods ended September 30, 2026. The yield column is from our own data as of October 21, 2026.

ETF	1 year	5 years	10 years	Since inception	Expense ratio	Yield
$SCHD	23.36%	9.48%	12.44%	13.11% (Oct 2011)	0.06%	3.2%
$DGRO	12.95%	10.96%	13.16%	11.96% (Jun 2014)	0.08%	2.0%
$VIG	9.77%	10.72%	12.86%	9.99% (Apr 2006)	0.04%	1.5%
$VYM	12.72%	11.63%	11.28%	9.13% (Nov 2006)	0.04%	2.3%
$NOBL	7.27%	6.30%	9.45%	10.22% (Oct 2013)	0.35%	2.0%
S&P 500 Index	15.74%	13.79%	15.33%	n/a	n/a	n/a

Returns are annualized at NAV for periods ended September 30, 2026. Sources: Schwab Asset Management, iShares, Vanguard and ProShares fund pages and fact sheets; S&P 500 Index figures from Vanguard's $VOO fact sheet. Yields are trailing dividend yields from ETFTotalReturns.com data as of October 21, 2026. Since inception figures cover very different time periods, so don't compare that column across funds. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

What $10,000 turned into over 10 years

Annual percentages are hard to feel. Here's what those 10 year numbers mean in dollars, using each fund's annualized 10 year return through September 30, 2026, with dividends reinvested:

$DGRO: about $34,400
$VIG: about $33,500
$SCHD: about $32,300
$VYM: about $29,100
$NOBL: about $24,700
S&P 500 Index: about $41,600

The top three are within about $2,100 of each other. $NOBL is almost $10,000 behind the leader. That gap is the story.

$DGRO vs $NOBL: why the gap is so big

On paper they sound like the same idea. Both own companies that raise their dividends. So why has $DGRO left $NOBL behind over 1, 5 and 10 years?

The bar to get in is very different. $NOBL tracks the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, which requires at least 25 straight years of dividend increases. That leaves a small list (71 holdings at the end of September). $DGRO tracks the Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index, which only needs 5 years of growth and screens out companies with payout ratios that look stretched. That lets in 391 holdings, including big tech and financial names that are still early in their dividend growth story.

Weighting matters. $NOBL weights its stocks equally, so a small industrial company counts as much as a mega cap. $DGRO weights by dividends paid, so the giants that pay the most get the most weight. When large caps lead the market, that difference adds up fast.

Fees. $NOBL charges 0.35% a year. $DGRO charges 0.08%. On $100,000 that's $350 versus $80, every year.

This is the part most people miss. A 25 year streak sounds safer, and in some ways it is. But a long streak tells you about the past, not about how fast the dividend or the business will grow from here. If you want to see the two line up on every metric, our $DGRO vs $NOBL performance comparison has the live side by side. And if you're weighing $NOBL against high yield funds instead, see my $HDV vs $NOBL vs $SDY vs $DVY total return comparison.

Fund by fund

$SCHD: the income favorite, back in form

$SCHD has the highest yield of the group at about 3.2% and had the best 1 year return by a mile, 23.36% through September. But its 5 year number, 9.48% a year, is one of the weakest here. That's the reality of a value-tilted, high quality dividend fund: it runs hot and cold. The 10 year record of 12.44% a year is still excellent for a fund yielding over 3%. If you're comparing it head to head, see $DGRO vs $SCHD and $SCHD vs $VIG.

$DGRO: the quiet winner

Best 10 year return of the five, a 0.08% fee, and nearly 400 holdings. $DGRO doesn't have a cult following like $SCHD, but it has quietly done the job. The tradeoff is a lower starting yield, about 2.0%.

$VIG: growth first, yield second

$VIG tracks the S&P U.S. Dividend Growers Index and charges just 0.04%. The index requires at least 10 years of dividend increases and leaves out the highest yielding stocks, so $VIG ends up looking a lot like a quality large cap fund. That's why its 10 year return (12.86%) is strong while its yield is the lowest here at about 1.5%. It's a great compounder, but it won't pay many bills today.

$VYM: the broad high yield option

$VYM holds almost 600 stocks from the FTSE High Dividend Yield Index and costs 0.04%. It had the best 5 year number of the group (11.63%). It doesn't require dividend growth at all, it simply buys the higher yielding half of the market, excluding REITs. Our $SCHD vs $VYM matchup shows how it stacks up against the other big high yield fund.

$NOBL: the famous name that has lagged

I like the idea behind $NOBL. A 25 year streak of raises is impressive. But the numbers are hard to ignore: last of the five over 1, 5 and 10 years, and the highest fee by a wide margin. Paying 0.35% for an index fund is expensive when $DGRO and $VIG cost a fraction of that.

How I actually choose between them

I don't think there's one right answer here. It depends on what you need the fund to do.

Need income now? $SCHD and $VYM pay the most of these five.
Building for the long haul? $DGRO and $VIG have the best 10 year total returns and lower yields. You get paid in growth instead.
Watch the fee. Four of these charge 0.08% or less. $NOBL charges 0.35%. That's a headwind every single year.
Don't stack them all. These funds overlap a lot. Owning two that complement each other (say one higher yield, one dividend growth) beats owning five that hold the same names.
Judge on total return. Yield is what you get paid. Total return is what you actually earned.

You can run any of these pairs yourself with the ETF total return comparison tool, or check each fund's scorecard, like the $DGRO total return scorecard. And if you want to filter dividend ETFs by yield, ratings and price decay instead of checking them one by one, that's exactly what TopDividendETFsPRO does.

The risks to keep in mind

None of these beat the S&P 500 over 10 years. The index made 15.33% a year. Dividend funds tilt toward value and away from the biggest tech names, which has been a drag. They tend to hold up better in some downturns, but you give something up in strong markets. For the full head to head with the index, see my $SCHD vs $VOO total return comparison.

Index changes. $VIG switched indexes in 2021, so part of its long record came from a different methodology.

One year numbers swing. $SCHD went from laggard to leader in a year. Don't chase whichever fund just had the best 12 months.

The takeaway

If I'm ranking on total return, it's $DGRO, $VIG and $SCHD in a tight pack at the top, $VYM a step behind, and $NOBL clearly last. For the specific $DGRO vs $NOBL question, $DGRO has been the better fund on returns and on cost.

The bigger point: pick the dividend ETF that matches your goal, keep fees low, and judge it on total return, not on the size of the check.

Want funds that pay more often? MonthlyETFs.com lists ETFs that pay every month, TopDividendETFs.com ranks the top 100 dividend ETFs, and DividendProjection.com shows what your dividends could grow into.

FAQ

How does $DGRO's performance compare with $NOBL?

As of September 30, 2026, $DGRO returned 12.95% over 1 year, 10.96% a year over 5 years and 13.16% a year over 10 years at NAV. $NOBL returned 7.27%, 6.30% and 9.45% over the same periods. $DGRO also charges 0.08% versus 0.35% for $NOBL.

Which has the better total return, $SCHD or $DGRO?

Over 10 years through September 30, 2026, $DGRO returned 13.16% a year versus 12.44% for $SCHD. Over the last year $SCHD was well ahead, 23.36% versus 12.95%. $SCHD has the higher yield, about 3.2% versus 2.0%.

Is $VIG better than $SCHD?

It depends on your goal. $VIG returned 12.86% a year over 10 years versus 12.44% for $SCHD, with a lower 0.04% fee, but it yields only about 1.5% versus about 3.2% for $SCHD. $VIG leans toward growth, $SCHD toward income.

Why has $NOBL underperformed?

$NOBL holds about 71 S&P 500 companies with 25 or more years of dividend increases and weights them equally, so it owns less of the large caps that have driven the market. It also charges 0.35%, more than four times what $DGRO charges.

Do $SCHD and $VYM beat the S&P 500?

Not over the last 10 years. Through September 30, 2026, the S&P 500 Index returned 15.33% a year, versus 12.44% for $SCHD and 11.28% for $VYM.

$SCHD vs $DGRO vs $VIG vs $NOBL vs $VYM: Dividend ETF Total Returns Compared (2026)