Vanguard California Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral Shares (VCLAX) 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 VCLAX. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to VCLAX
VCLAX charges 0.09% annually. There are 8 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 | VCLAX vs LSMSX | |
| Vanguard Tax-Managed Balanced Fund Admiral Shares | 0.05% | 12.30B | Sep 1994 | VCLAX vs VTMFX | |
| Nuveen Municipal Total Return Managed Accounts | 0.05% | — | May 2007 | VCLAX vs NMTRX | |
| Federated Hermes Conservative Municipal Microshort... | 0.05% | — | Feb 2021 | VCLAX vs FHMIX | |
| Strategic Advisers Municipal Bond Fund | 0.06% | — | Jun 2021 | VCLAX vs FSMUX |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to VCLAX
VCLAX has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 79. There are 206 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 | VCLAX vs DFABX | |
| DFA Short Term Municipal Bond Portfolio | 100 | — | Aug 2002 | VCLAX vs DFSMX | |
| abrdn Ultra Short Municipal Income Fund | 99 | — | Dec 2002 | VCLAX vs ATOIX | |
| Federated Hermes Conservative Municipal Microshort... | 99 | — | Feb 2021 | VCLAX vs FHMIX | |
| SEI Institutional Managed Trust Tax-Free Conservat... | 99 | — | Apr 2016 | VCLAX vs TFCYX |
Top Performing VCLAX Alternatives (YTD)
VCLAX is at 2.18% YTD. There are 144 mutual funds in the Municipal Bonds category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 11.06%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nuveen Municipal Income Fund, Inc. | 11.06% | — | Apr 1998 | VCLAX vs NMI | |
| Nuveen New York AMT Free Quality Municipal Income | 10.21% | — | Nov 2002 | VCLAX vs NRK | |
| BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund | 8.32% | — | Oct 1992 | VCLAX vs MIY | |
| AllianceBernstein National Municipal Income Fund | 6.66% | — | Nov 2001 | VCLAX vs AFB | |
| BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund | 6.62% | — | Feb 1998 | VCLAX vs MUC |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to VCLAX
VCLAX has 3.14% 1-year volatility. There are 378 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 Municipal Bond Portfolio | 0.55% | — | Aug 2002 | VCLAX vs DFSMX | |
| DFA Short-Term Selective State Municipal Bond Port... | 0.56% | — | Apr 2022 | VCLAX vs DFABX | |
| DFA California Short Term Municipal Bond Portfolio | 0.57% | — | Apr 2007 | VCLAX vs DFCMX | |
| JPMorgan Ultra-Short Municipal Fund | 0.58% | — | May 2016 | VCLAX vs USMSX | |
| JPMorgan Ultra-Short Municipal Fund | 0.59% | — | May 2016 | VCLAX vs USMTX |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to VCLAX
VCLAX has a 1-year max drawdown of -3.43%. There are 437 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 | VCLAX vs BATVX | |
| abrdn Ultra Short Municipal Income Fund | -0.10% | — | Dec 2002 | VCLAX vs ATOIX | |
| Federated Hermes Conservative Municipal Microshort... | -0.10% | — | Feb 2021 | VCLAX vs FHMIX | |
| SEI Institutional Managed Trust Tax-Free Conservat... | -0.10% | — | Apr 2016 | VCLAX vs TFCYX | |
| DFA Short-Term Selective State Municipal Bond Port... | -0.11% | — | Apr 2022 | VCLAX 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 VCLAX
Investors most often compare VCLAX with VCADX, VWALX, FCTFX. These 17 comparison targets span 7 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare VCLAX with Any Fund or Stock
Compare VCLAX with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair VCLAX with funds that move differently
Vanguard California Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Admiral Shares alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to VCLAX.
Explore VCLAX Diversifiers