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 | |
| Vanguard Tax-Managed Balanced Fund Admiral Shares | 0.05% | 12.30B | Sep 1994 | VCAIX vs VTMFX | |
| Federated Hermes Conservative Municipal Microshort... | 0.05% | — | Feb 2021 | VCAIX vs FHMIX | |
| Nuveen Municipal Total Return Managed Accounts | 0.05% | — | May 2007 | VCAIX vs NMTRX | |
| Strategic Advisers Municipal Bond Fund | 0.06% | — | Jun 2021 | VCAIX vs FSMUX |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to VCAIX
VCAIX has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 72. There are 335 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 Municipal Bond Portfolio | 100 | — | Aug 2002 | VCAIX vs DFSMX | |
| DFA Short-Term Selective State Municipal Bond Port... | 100 | — | Apr 2022 | VCAIX vs DFABX | |
| abrdn Ultra Short Municipal Income Fund | 99 | — | Dec 2002 | VCAIX vs ATOIX | |
| Federated Hermes Conservative Municipal Microshort... | 99 | — | Feb 2021 | VCAIX vs FHMIX | |
| DFA California Short Term Municipal Bond Portfolio | 99 | — | Apr 2007 | VCAIX vs DFCMX |
Top Performing VCAIX Alternatives (YTD)
VCAIX is at 1.05% YTD. There are 386 mutual funds in the Municipal Bonds category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 10.68%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nuveen New York AMT Free Quality Municipal Income | 10.68% | — | Nov 2002 | VCAIX vs NRK | |
| Nuveen Municipal Income Fund, Inc. | 10.10% | — | Apr 1998 | VCAIX vs NMI | |
| BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund | 8.97% | — | Oct 1992 | VCAIX vs MIY | |
| AllianceBernstein National Municipal Income Fund | 6.95% | — | Nov 2001 | VCAIX vs AFB | |
| BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund | 6.75% | — | Feb 1998 | VCAIX vs MUC |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to VCAIX
VCAIX has 2.24% 1-year volatility. There are 130 mutual funds in the Municipal Bonds category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 0.55%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFA Short-Term Selective State Municipal Bond Port... | 0.55% | — | Apr 2022 | VCAIX vs DFABX | |
| DFA Short Term Municipal Bond Portfolio | 0.55% | — | Aug 2002 | VCAIX vs DFSMX | |
| DFA California Short Term Municipal Bond Portfolio | 0.57% | — | Apr 2007 | VCAIX vs DFCMX | |
| JPMorgan Ultra-Short Municipal Fund | 0.58% | — | May 2016 | VCAIX vs USMSX | |
| JPMorgan Ultra-Short Municipal Fund | 0.59% | — | May 2016 | VCAIX vs USMTX |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to VCAIX
VCAIX has a 1-year max drawdown of -2.98%. There are 324 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 | |
| abrdn Ultra Short Municipal Income Fund | -0.10% | — | Dec 2002 | VCAIX vs ATOIX | |
| Federated Hermes Conservative Municipal Microshort... | -0.10% | — | Feb 2021 | VCAIX vs FHMIX | |
| SEI Institutional Managed Trust Tax-Free Conservat... | -0.10% | — | Apr 2016 | VCAIX vs TFCYX | |
| DFA Short-Term Selective State Municipal Bond Port... | -0.11% | — | Apr 2022 | VCAIX vs DFABX |
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 8 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