The Best Short-Term Bond ETFs

The table below compares the performance and other essential indicators like dividend yield and expense ratio of Short-Term Bond ETFs.

Number of ETFs: 63
Avg. Expense Ratio: 0.25%
Avg. Dividend Yield: 4.16%
Avg. 1 Year Return: 4.12%
Median Risk/Return Score: 81 / 100

63 results

Symbol	Full Name	Category	Inception	Expense Ratio	YTD Return	10Y Return (Annualized)	Dividend Yield	Risk / Return Rank
PCS	PGIM Corporate Bond 0-5 Year ETF	Corporate Bonds, Short-Term Bond	Jul 29, 2025	0.20%	1.03%	—	4.02%	—
QSIG	WisdomTree U.S. High Yield Corporate Bond Fund	Short-Term Bond	Apr 27, 2016	0.18%	0.34%	2.43%	4.45%	70
SBND	Columbia Short Duration Bond ETF	Short-Term Bond	Sep 21, 2021	0.25%	0.63%	—	4.54%	74
SCHO	Schwab Short-Term U.S. Treasury ETF	Government Bonds, Short-Term Bond	Aug 5, 2010	0.03%	0.29%	1.70%	3.91%	78
SDCP	Virtus Newfleet Short Duration Core Plus Bond ETF	Short-Term Bond	Nov 15, 2023	0.35%	1.08%	—	5.23%	91
SDFI	AB Short Duration Income ETF	Short-Term Bond	Dec 12, 2018	0.30%	0.66%	—	4.62%	72
SDSI	American Century Short Duration Strategic Income E...	Short-Term Bond	Oct 11, 2022	0.33%	1.06%	—	4.80%	90
SHAG	WisdomTree Yield Enhanced U.S. Short-Term Aggregat...	Short-Term Bond	May 18, 2017	0.12%	0.24%	—	4.29%	64
SHY	iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF	Government Bonds, Short-Term Bond	Jul 22, 2002	0.15%	0.29%	1.64%	3.69%	77
SJLD	SanJac Alpha Low Duration ETF	Short-Term Bond	Sep 9, 2024	0.35%	1.59%	—	3.96%	89
SLDR	Global X Short-Term Treasury Ladder ETF	Government Bonds, Short-Term Bond	Sep 9, 2024	0.12%	0.23%	—	3.72%	81
SPTS	SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF	Government Bonds, Short-Term Bond	Nov 30, 2011	0.03%	0.38%	1.66%	3.91%	84
STBF	Performance Trust Short Term Bond ETF	Short-Term Bond	Apr 8, 2024	0.65%	1.36%	—	4.90%	94
STOT	State Street DoubleLine Short Duration Total Retur...	Short-Term Bond	Apr 13, 2016	0.45%	0.91%	2.43%	4.41%	94
TAXS	Northern Trust Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF	Municipal Bonds, Short-Term Bond	Aug 18, 2025	0.05%	0.95%	—	1.82%	—
TMNS	T. Rowe Price Short Municipal Income ETF	Municipal Bonds, Short-Term Bond	Nov 19, 2025	0.18%	1.15%	—	1.72%	—
TSEC	Touchstone Securitized Income ETF	Short-Term Bond	Jul 17, 2023	0.40%	1.14%	—	7.31%	71
USSH	WisdomTree 1-3 Year Laddered Treasury Fund	Government Bonds, Short-Term Bond	Mar 12, 2024	0.15%	0.29%	—	3.65%	81
USTB	VictoryShares Short-Term Bond ETF	Short-Term Bond	Oct 24, 2017	0.34%	1.07%	—	4.58%	94
VGSH	Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF	Government Bonds, Short-Term Bond	Nov 19, 2009	0.03%	0.36%	1.72%	3.88%	82

Best Short-Term Bond ETFs by Risk/Return Score

The top Short-Term Bond ETFs by PortfoliosLab Risk/Return Score are MYCF (99) and FLDB (98). The score measures risk-adjusted performance over the past year, accounting for volatility, drawdown, and return consistency.

Symbol	Name	Risk / Return Rank	AUM	Inception
MYCF	State Street My2026 Corporate Bond ETF	99	46.36M	Sep 2024
FLDB	Fidelity Low Duration Bond ETF	98	406.92M	Feb 2024
MYCG	State Street My2027 Corporate Bond ETF	98	29.99M	Sep 2024
DCMB	Doubleline Commercial Real Estate ETF	96	162.33M	Mar 2023
DCRE	DoubleLine Commercial Real Estate ETF	96	416.13M	Mar 2023

Best-Performing Short-Term Bond ETFs Over 5 Years

The top Short-Term Bond ETFs is NEAR (3.82%). Across the lineup, Short-Term Bond ETFs show an average 1-year return of 4.12% and an average 5-year return of 2.04%, providing a clearer view of performance across different investment horizons.

Symbol	Name	Return 5Y	AUM	Inception
NEAR	iShares Short Duration Bond Active ETF	3.82%	4.58B	Sep 2013
USTB	VictoryShares Short-Term Bond ETF	3.48%	2.15B	Oct 2017
STOT	State Street DoubleLine Short Duration Total Retur...	2.80%	460.93M	Apr 2016
LDSF	First Trust Low Duration Strategic Focus ETF	2.34%	162.07M	Jan 2019
JSCP	JPMorgan Short Duration Core Plus ETF	2.32%	1.47B	Mar 2021

Lowest-Cost Short-Term Bond ETFs

The top Short-Term Bond ETFs is SPTS (0.03%). With an average expense ratio of 0.25%, Short-Term Bond ETFs remain a low-cost option for investors seeking broad market exposure, sector allocations, and diversified portfolio building blocks.

Symbol	Name	Expense Ratio	AUM	Inception
SPTS	SPDR Portfolio Short Term Treasury ETF	0.03%	5.90B	Nov 2011
VGSH	Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF	0.03%	33.50B	Nov 2009
SCHO	Schwab Short-Term U.S. Treasury ETF	0.03%	13.24B	Aug 2010
BSV	Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares	0.03%	69.90B	Apr 2007
BBSB	JPMorgan BetaBuilders U.S. Treasury Bond 1-3 Year ...	0.04%	45.06M	Apr 2023

Highest-Yield Short-Term Bond ETFs

The top Short-Term Bond ETFs is TSEC (7.31%). Across the lineup, Short-Term Bond ETFs show an average dividend yield of 4.16%, offering investors a steady stream of income through regular dividend payments, making them attractive for income-seeking portfolios.

Symbol	Name	Dividend Yield	AUM	Inception
TSEC	Touchstone Securitized Income ETF	7.31%	122.71M	Jul 2023
JSI	Janus Henderson Securitized Income ETF	5.81%	1.52B	Nov 2023
MSTI	Madison Short-Term Strategic Income ETF	5.35%	6.75M	Sep 2023
SDCP	Virtus Newfleet Short Duration Core Plus Bond ETF	5.23%	12.78M	Nov 2023
LODI	AAM SLC Low Duration Income ETF	4.97%	77.26M	Dec 2024

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Top ETFs Comparisons

Compare the top ETFs symbols based on PortfoliosLab usage data.

Risk vs. Return Scatterplot

The Risk vs. Return Scatterplot allows you to quickly compare funds, stocks, and ETFs in one view. It displays the yearly return of an instrument on one axis and the risk (volatility) on the other.

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