Vanguard Short-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Investor Shares (VWSTX) 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 VWSTX. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to VWSTX
VWSTX 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 | VWSTX vs LSMSX | |
| Vanguard Tax-Managed Balanced Fund Admiral Shares | 0.05% | 12.30B | Sep 1994 | VWSTX vs VTMFX | |
| Nuveen Municipal Total Return Managed Accounts | 0.05% | — | May 2007 | VWSTX vs NMTRX | |
| Federated Hermes Conservative Municipal Microshort... | 0.05% | — | Feb 2021 | VWSTX vs FHMIX | |
| Strategic Advisers Municipal Bond Fund | 0.06% | — | Jun 2021 | VWSTX vs FSMUX |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to VWSTX
VWSTX has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 97. There are 16 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 | VWSTX vs DFABX | |
| DFA Short Term Municipal Bond Portfolio | 100 | — | Aug 2002 | VWSTX vs DFSMX | |
| abrdn Ultra Short Municipal Income Fund | 99 | — | Dec 2002 | VWSTX vs ATOIX | |
| Federated Hermes Conservative Municipal Microshort... | 99 | — | Feb 2021 | VWSTX vs FHMIX | |
| SEI Institutional Managed Trust Tax-Free Conservat... | 99 | — | Apr 2016 | VWSTX vs TFCYX |
Top Performing VWSTX Alternatives (YTD)
VWSTX is at 1.36% YTD. There are 320 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 | VWSTX vs NMI | |
| Nuveen New York AMT Free Quality Municipal Income | 10.21% | — | Nov 2002 | VWSTX vs NRK | |
| BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund | 8.32% | — | Oct 1992 | VWSTX vs MIY | |
| AllianceBernstein National Municipal Income Fund | 6.66% | — | Nov 2001 | VWSTX vs AFB | |
| BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund | 6.62% | — | Feb 1998 | VWSTX vs MUC |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to VWSTX
VWSTX has 1.10% 1-year volatility. There are 20 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 | VWSTX vs DFSMX | |
| DFA Short-Term Selective State Municipal Bond Port... | 0.56% | — | Apr 2022 | VWSTX vs DFABX | |
| DFA California Short Term Municipal Bond Portfolio | 0.57% | — | Apr 2007 | VWSTX vs DFCMX | |
| JPMorgan Ultra-Short Municipal Fund | 0.58% | — | May 2016 | VWSTX vs USMSX | |
| JPMorgan Ultra-Short Municipal Fund | 0.59% | — | May 2016 | VWSTX vs USMTX |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to VWSTX
VWSTX has a 1-year max drawdown of -0.69%. There are 19 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 | VWSTX vs BATVX | |
| abrdn Ultra Short Municipal Income Fund | -0.10% | — | Dec 2002 | VWSTX vs ATOIX | |
| Federated Hermes Conservative Municipal Microshort... | -0.10% | — | Feb 2021 | VWSTX vs FHMIX | |
| SEI Institutional Managed Trust Tax-Free Conservat... | -0.10% | — | Apr 2016 | VWSTX vs TFCYX | |
| DFA Short-Term Selective State Municipal Bond Port... | -0.11% | — | Apr 2022 | VWSTX 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 VWSTX
Investors most often compare VWSTX with VWSUX, VMLTX, VTEB. These 19 comparison targets span 7 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare VWSTX with Any Fund or Stock
Compare VWSTX with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair VWSTX with funds that move differently
Vanguard Short-Term Tax-Exempt Fund Investor Shares alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to VWSTX.
Explore VWSTX Diversifiers