American Century California Municipal Bond ETF (CATF) belongs to the Municipal Bonds category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with CATF. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to CATF
CATF charges 0.27% annually. There are 72 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schwab Municipal Bond ETF | 0.03% | 4.00B | Oct 2022 | CATF vs SCMB | |
| Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.03% | 47.60B | Aug 2015 | CATF vs VTEB | |
| Northern Trust Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.05% | 126.55M | Aug 2025 | CATF vs TAXS | |
| Northern Trust Tax-Exempt Bond ETF | 0.05% | 60.72M | Aug 2025 | CATF vs TAXT | |
| Fidelity Systematic Municipal Bond Index ETF | 0.05% | 183.09M | Jul 2019 | CATF vs FMUN |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to CATF
CATF has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 80. There are 55 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 97.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Street My2027 Municipal Bond ETF | 97 | 8.64M | Sep 2024 | CATF vs MYMG | |
| First Trust Ultra Short Duration Municipal ETF | 97 | 245.94M | Nov 2018 | CATF vs FUMB | |
| State Street My2026 Municipal Bond ETF | 97 | 8.73M | Sep 2024 | CATF vs MYMF | |
| Allspring Ultra Short Municipal ETF | 97 | 30.06M | Jul 2025 | CATF vs AUSM | |
| iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond ETF | 96 | 1.41B | Mar 2015 | CATF vs MEAR |
Top Performing CATF Alternatives (YTD)
CATF is at 1.81% YTD. There are 50 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 4.58%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xtrackers Municipal Infrastructure Revenue Bond ET... | 4.58% | 143.84M | Jun 2013 | CATF vs RVNU | |
| Rareview Tax Advantaged Income ETF | 4.03% | 18.13M | Oct 2020 | CATF vs RTAI | |
| First Trust Flexible Municipal High Income ETF | 4.02% | 20.73M | Sep 2016 | CATF vs MFLX | |
| T. Rowe Price High Income Municipal ETF | 3.75% | 25.42M | Nov 2025 | CATF vs THYM | |
| Overlay Shares Municipal Bond ETF | 3.73% | 30.60M | Sep 2019 | CATF vs OVM |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to CATF
CATF has 3.11% 1-year volatility. There are 97 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 0.54%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F/m Ultrashort Tax-Free Municipal ETF | 0.54% | 33.31M | Sep 2025 | CATF vs ZMUN | |
| State Street My2026 Municipal Bond ETF | 0.71% | 8.73M | Sep 2024 | CATF vs MYMF | |
| iShares Short-Term California Muni Active ETF | 0.71% | 408.07M | Oct 2007 | CATF vs CALI | |
| Allspring Ultra Short Municipal ETF | 0.73% | 30.06M | Jul 2025 | CATF vs AUSM | |
| First Trust Ultra Short Duration Municipal ETF | 0.79% | 245.94M | Nov 2018 | CATF vs FUMB |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to CATF
CATF has a 1-year max drawdown of -2.77%. There are 71 ETFs in the Municipal Bonds category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -0.22%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Trust Ultra Short Duration Municipal ETF | -0.22% | 245.94M | Nov 2018 | CATF vs FUMB | |
| Invesco BulletShares 2026 Municipal Bond ETF | -0.30% | 283.20M | Sep 2019 | CATF vs BSMQ | |
| State Street My2027 Municipal Bond ETF | -0.36% | 8.64M | Sep 2024 | CATF vs MYMG | |
| Goldman Sachs Ultra Short Municipal Income ETF | -0.36% | 38.99M | Jul 2024 | CATF vs GUMI | |
| State Street My2026 Municipal Bond ETF | -0.38% | 8.73M | Sep 2024 | CATF vs MYMF |
Other ETFs from American Century
The 10 most viewed American Century ETFs shown here include QGRO, FDG, FUSI and span 9 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $2B.
Often Compared With CATF
Investors most often compare CATF with KCOP, BESF, RINT. These 20 comparison targets span 13 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare CATF with Any Fund or Stock
Compare CATF with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair CATF with funds that move differently
American Century California Municipal Bond ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to CATF.
Explore CATF Diversifiers