Vanguard California Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Investor Shares (VCAIX) belongs to the Municipal Bonds category. Below you'll find alternative mutual funds from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with VCAIX. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to VCAIX
VCAIX charges 0.17% annually. There are 25 mutual funds in the Municipal Bonds category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.01%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Asset SMASh Series TF Fund | 0.01% | — | Dec 2015 | VCAIX vs LSMSX | |
| Nuveen Municipal Total Return Managed Accounts | 0.05% | — | May 2007 | VCAIX vs NMTRX | |
| Federated Hermes Conservative Municipal Microshort... | 0.05% | — | Feb 2021 | VCAIX vs FHMIX | |
| Strategic Advisers Municipal Bond Fund | 0.06% | — | Jun 2021 | VCAIX vs FSMUX | |
| Fidelity Municipal Bond Index Fund | 0.07% | 0.00 | Jul 2019 | VCAIX vs FMBIX |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to VCAIX
VCAIX has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 69. There are 277 mutual funds in the Municipal Bonds category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 100.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFA Short-Term Selective State Municipal Bond Port... | 100 | — | Apr 2022 | VCAIX vs DFABX | |
| DFA California Short Term Municipal Bond Portfolio | 99 | — | Apr 2007 | VCAIX vs DFCMX | |
| DFA NY Municipal Bond Portfolio | 99 | — | Jun 2015 | VCAIX vs DNYMX | |
| DFA Short Term Municipal Bond Portfolio | 99 | — | Aug 2002 | VCAIX vs DFSMX | |
| JPMorgan Ultra-Short Municipal Fund | 99 | — | May 2016 | VCAIX vs USMTX |
Top Performing VCAIX Alternatives (YTD)
VCAIX is at 1.13% YTD. There are 338 mutual funds in the Municipal Bonds category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 11.50%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nuveen Municipal Income Fund, Inc. | 11.50% | — | Apr 1998 | VCAIX vs NMI | |
| Nuveen New York AMT Free Quality Municipal Income | 7.89% | — | Nov 2002 | VCAIX vs NRK | |
| AllianceBernstein National Municipal Income Fund | 6.96% | — | Nov 2001 | VCAIX vs AFB | |
| Nuveen Virginia Quality Municipal Income Fund | 6.88% | — | Mar 1993 | VCAIX vs NPV | |
| BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund | 5.83% | — | Oct 1992 | VCAIX vs MIY |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to VCAIX
VCAIX has 2.26% 1-year volatility. There are 146 mutual funds in the Municipal Bonds category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 0.56%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFA Short-Term Selective State Municipal Bond Port... | 0.56% | — | Apr 2022 | VCAIX vs DFABX | |
| JPMorgan Ultra-Short Municipal Fund | 0.59% | — | May 2016 | VCAIX vs USMTX | |
| JPMorgan Ultra-Short Municipal Fund | 0.59% | — | May 2016 | VCAIX vs USMSX | |
| DFA California Short Term Municipal Bond Portfolio | 0.59% | — | Apr 2007 | VCAIX vs DFCMX | |
| DFA Short Term Municipal Bond Portfolio | 0.61% | — | Aug 2002 | VCAIX vs DFSMX |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to VCAIX
VCAIX has a 1-year max drawdown of -2.98%. There are 330 mutual funds in the Municipal Bonds category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as 0.00%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BlackRock Allocation Target Shares | 0.00% | — | May 2021 | VCAIX vs BATVX | |
| Federated Hermes Conservative Municipal Microshort... | -0.10% | — | Feb 2021 | VCAIX vs FHMIX | |
| Cavanal Hill Ultra Short Tax-Free Income Fund | -0.10% | — | Dec 2017 | VCAIX vs APUSX | |
| abrdn Ultra Short Municipal Income Fund | -0.10% | — | Dec 2002 | VCAIX vs ATOIX | |
| SEI Institutional Managed Trust Tax-Free Conservat... | -0.10% | — | Apr 2016 | VCAIX vs TFCYX |
Other Mutual Funds from Vanguard
The 10 most viewed Vanguard mutual funds shown here include VTSAX, VFIAX, VTIAX and span 8 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $2T.
Often Compared With VCAIX
Investors most often compare VCAIX with VCADX, CMF, VCITX. These 19 comparison targets span 7 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare VCAIX with Any Fund or Stock
Compare VCAIX with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair VCAIX with funds that move differently
Vanguard California Intermediate-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Investor Shares alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to VCAIX.
Explore VCAIX Diversifiers