TSIDX vs. VBIRX

Last updated Aug 6, 2026

TSIDX (T. Rowe Price Short Duration Income Fund I Class) and VBIRX (Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares) are both Short-Term Bond funds - TSIDX tracks the Bloomberg 1-3 Year U.S. Corporate Bond Index while VBIRX tracks the Bloomberg U.S. 1-5 Year Government/Credit Float Adjusted Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, TSIDX returned 2.42%/yr vs 1.58%/yr for VBIRX. Their 0.77 correlation means they have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently. TSIDX charges 0.29%/yr vs 0.06%/yr for VBIRX.

Performance

TSIDX vs. VBIRX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in T. Rowe Price Short Duration Income Fund I Class (TSIDX) and Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares (VBIRX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, TSIDX achieves a 0.73% return, which is significantly higher than VBIRX's 0.24% return.

TSIDX

• 1D: 0.11%
• 1M: -0.21%
• 6M: 0.44%
• YTD: 0.73%
• 1Y: 3.25%
• 3Y*: 5.41%
• 5Y*: 2.42%
• 10Y*: —
• ALL TIME*: 2.37%

VBIRX

• 1D: 0.10%
• 1M: -0.29%
• 6M: 0.19%
• YTD: 0.24%
• 1Y: 2.30%
• 3Y*: 4.36%
• 5Y*: 1.58%
• 10Y*: 1.87%
• ALL TIME*: 2.58%

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

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
TSIDX T. Rowe Price Short Duration Income Fund I Class	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
VBIRX Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00

TSIDX vs. VBIRX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
TSIDX T. Rowe Price Short Duration Income Fund I Class	0.73%	6.58%	5.87%	5.42%	-5.61%	0.74%	0.20%
VBIRX Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares	0.24%	6.09%	3.75%	4.87%	-5.63%	-1.20%	0.21%

Correlation

The correlation between TSIDX and VBIRX is 0.66, which is moderate. They have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently, sharing some price drivers without tracking each other closely.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.66
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	0.75
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.	0.78
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Dec 9, 2020	0.77

The correlation between TSIDX and VBIRX shifts across timeframes, from 0.66 (1 year) to 0.78 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

TSIDX vs. VBIRX — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

TSIDX

TSIDX Risk / Return Rank: 77
TSIDX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 66
TSIDX Sortino Ratio Rank: 87
TSIDX Omega Ratio Rank: 86
TSIDX Calmar Ratio Rank: 67
TSIDX Martin Ratio Rank: 80

VBIRX

VBIRX Risk / Return Rank: 26
VBIRX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 25
VBIRX Sortino Ratio Rank: 27
VBIRX Omega Ratio Rank: 24
VBIRX Calmar Ratio Rank: 27
VBIRX Martin Ratio Rank: 25

The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

TSIDX vs. VBIRX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for T. Rowe Price Short Duration Income Fund I Class (TSIDX) and Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares (VBIRX). 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.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.

	TSIDX	VBIRX	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.83	1.04	+0.79
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	3.29	1.65	+1.63
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.44	1.19	+0.25
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.58	1.43	+1.14
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	11.53	3.98	+7.54

TSIDX vs. VBIRX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current TSIDX Sharpe Ratio is 1.83, which is higher than the VBIRX Sharpe Ratio of 1.04. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of TSIDX and VBIRX, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

TSIDX vs. VBIRX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum TSIDX drawdown since its inception was -7.87%, smaller than the maximum VBIRX drawdown of -8.69%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for TSIDX and VBIRX.

Drawdown Indicators

	TSIDX	VBIRX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-7.87%	-8.69%	+0.82%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-1.26%	-1.54%	+0.28%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-1.26%	-1.55%	+0.29%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-7.87%	-8.47%	+0.60%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-8.69%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.21%	-0.69%	+0.48%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-1.76%	-0.98%	-0.78%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.28%	0.55%	-0.27%

Volatility

TSIDX vs. VBIRX - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for T. Rowe Price Short Duration Income Fund I Class (TSIDX) is 0.43%, while Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares (VBIRX) has a volatility of 0.48%. This indicates that TSIDX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VBIRX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	TSIDX	VBIRX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	0.43%	0.48%	-0.05%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	1.26%	1.65%	-0.39%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.78%	2.14%	-0.36%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	2.28%	2.98%	-0.70%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	2.15%	2.40%	-0.25%

TSIDX vs. VBIRX - Expense Ratio Comparison

TSIDX has a 0.29% expense ratio, which is higher than VBIRX's 0.06% expense ratio.

Dividends

TSIDX vs. VBIRX - Dividend Comparison

TSIDX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.97%, more than VBIRX's 3.69% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
TSIDX T. Rowe Price Short Duration Income Fund I Class	3.97%	4.96%	5.14%	3.61%	1.90%	1.66%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
VBIRX Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund Admiral Shares	3.69%	3.83%	3.37%	2.41%	1.46%	1.22%	1.77%	2.24%	2.03%	1.66%	1.50%	1.41%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both TSIDX and VBIRX in my portfolio?

TSIDX and VBIRX have a correlation of 0.66, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, TSIDX or VBIRX?

VBIRX has higher volatility (0.48%) compared to TSIDX (0.43%). In terms of maximum drawdown, TSIDX dropped -7.87% vs VBIRX's -8.69%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

TSIDX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.83 vs 1.04), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.