ESS vs. VNQ

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Essex Property Trust, Inc. (ESS) and Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ).

VNQ is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the MSCI US Investable Market Real Estate 25/50 Index. It was launched on Sep 23, 2004.

Performance

ESS vs. VNQ - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Essex Property Trust, Inc. (ESS) and Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

ESS vs. VNQ - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ESS Essex Property Trust, Inc.	-5.60%	-4.98%	18.36%	21.97%	-37.76%	52.40%	-18.09%	25.92%	4.83%	6.82%
VNQ Vanguard Real Estate ETF	1.31%	3.24%	4.81%	11.85%	-26.25%	40.54%	-4.61%	28.91%	-6.03%	4.90%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ESS achieves a -5.60% return, which is significantly lower than VNQ's 1.31% return. Over the past 10 years, ESS has underperformed VNQ with an annualized return of 3.77%, while VNQ has yielded a comparatively higher 4.65% annualized return.

ESS

• 1D: 0.82%
• 1M: -4.12%
• YTD: -5.60%
• 6M: -7.70%
• 1Y: -17.89%
• 3Y*: 9.07%
• 5Y*: 0.92%
• 10Y*: 3.77%

VNQ

• 1D: 1.57%
• 1M: -6.31%
• YTD: 1.31%
• 6M: -1.04%
• 1Y: 1.86%
• 3Y*: 6.44%
• 5Y*: 2.79%
• 10Y*: 4.65%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

ESS vs. VNQ — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

ESS

ESS Risk / Return Rank: 13
ESS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 11
ESS Sortino Ratio Rank: 13
ESS Omega Ratio Rank: 14
ESS Calmar Ratio Rank: 10
ESS Martin Ratio Rank: 15

VNQ

VNQ Risk / Return Rank: 16
VNQ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 15
VNQ Sortino Ratio Rank: 15
VNQ Omega Ratio Rank: 15
VNQ Calmar Ratio Rank: 18
VNQ Martin Ratio Rank: 19

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

ESS vs. VNQ - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Essex Property Trust, Inc. (ESS) and Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	ESS	VNQ	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.73	0.11	-0.85
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-0.87	0.27	-1.14
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.89	1.04	-0.15
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.86	0.23	-1.09
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-1.32	0.88	-2.20
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ESS vs. VNQ - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ESS Sharpe Ratio is -0.73, which is lower than the VNQ Sharpe Ratio of 0.11. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ESS and VNQ, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	ESS	VNQ	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.73	0.11	-0.85
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.04	0.15	-0.11
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.15	0.23	-0.08
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.49	0.26	+0.23

Correlation

The correlation between ESS and VNQ is 0.81, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

ESS vs. VNQ - Dividend Comparison

ESS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.26%, more than VNQ's 3.93% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ESS Essex Property Trust, Inc.	4.26%	3.88%	2.57%	3.73%	4.15%	2.37%	3.50%	2.59%	3.03%	2.90%	2.75%	2.41%
VNQ Vanguard Real Estate ETF	3.93%	3.92%	3.85%	3.95%	3.91%	2.56%	3.93%	3.39%	4.74%	4.23%	4.82%	3.92%

Drawdowns

ESS vs. VNQ - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ESS drawdown since its inception was -62.67%, smaller than the maximum VNQ drawdown of -73.07%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ESS and VNQ.

Drawdown Indicators

	ESS	VNQ	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-62.67%	-73.07%	+10.40%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-19.74%	-12.44%	-7.30%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-43.87%	-34.48%	-9.39%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-44.84%	-42.40%	-2.44%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-21.48%	-9.57%	-11.91%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-10.84%	-13.71%	+2.87%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	12.88%	3.18%	+9.70%

Volatility

ESS vs. VNQ - Volatility Comparison

Essex Property Trust, Inc. (ESS) has a higher volatility of 4.77% compared to Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ) at 4.52%. This indicates that ESS's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VNQ based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ESS	VNQ	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.77%	4.52%	+0.25%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.74%	9.29%	+4.45%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	24.52%	16.33%	+8.19%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	23.78%	18.81%	+4.97%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	25.83%	20.71%	+5.12%