ETF Versus

IJR vs IYR

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF vs iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

IJR iShares

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to small-cap U.S. equities with higher growth potential and volatility. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.06%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.28%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $90.2B ER: 0.06% Yield: 1.28% Since: May 22, 2000
IYR iShares

iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF (IYR) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to U.S. real estate investment trusts (REITs) and real estate companies. It charges an above-average expense ratio of 0.38%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 2.37%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $3.9B ER: 0.38% Yield: 2.37% Since: Jun 12, 2000

Quick Verdict

IJR is significantly cheaper at 0.06% vs 0.38% expense ratio, saving you approximately $628 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, IJR has significantly outperformed with a 19.2% return vs -1.0%. Income investors may prefer IYR for its higher yield (2.4% vs 1.3%).

Key Metrics

Metric IJR IYR
Expense Ratio 0.06% 0.38%
Dividend Yield 1.3% 2.4%
Fund Family iShares iShares
Category US Small Cap US Real Estate

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 85 95 105 115 125 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
IJR +13.0%
IYR +1.0%

Performance Comparison

Period IJR IYR Difference
1 Month -4.33% -6.56% +2.23%
3 Months +2.92% +0.95% +1.97%
6 Months +4.03% -2.23% +6.26%
YTD +2.92% +0.95% +1.97%
1 Year +19.20% -0.97% +20.17%
3 Years +29.06% +12.64% +16.42%
5 Years +12.98% +0.99% +11.99%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IJR Fees IYR Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $120 $748 $628
$10.000 20 years $515 $3.173 $2.657
$10.000 30 years $1.664 $10.097 $8.434
$50.000 10 years $598 $3.739 $3.140
$50.000 30 years $8.318 $50.486 $42.168
$100.000 30 years $16.637 $100.972 $84.335

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IJR IYR
Annualized Volatility 21.6% 18.8%
Max Drawdown -28.9% -36.9%
Sharpe Ratio 0.01 -0.13

Dividend Comparison

Metric IJR IYR
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.60 $2.25
Dividend Yield 1.28% 2.37%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 10 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

IJR Top Holdings

NameWeight
BLK CSH FND TREASURY SL AGENCYXTSLA1.37%
Eastman Chemical CompanyEMN0.54%
Viavi Solutions Inc.VIAV0.53%
Argan, Inc.AGX0.52%
Primoris Services CorporationPRIM0.52%
FormFactor, Inc.FORM0.51%
Element Solutions IncESI0.51%
LKQ CorporationLKQ0.50%
SM Energy CompanySM0.49%
ESCO Technologies Inc.ESE0.48%

IYR Top Holdings

NameWeight
Welltower Inc.WELL10.03%
Prologis, Inc.PLD9.11%
Equinix, Inc.EQIX4.68%
Digital Realty Trust, Inc.DLR4.59%
Simon Property Group, Inc.SPG4.50%
Realty Income CorporationO4.44%
American Tower CorporationAMT4.39%
Public StoragePSA3.40%
Ventas, Inc.VTR3.15%
CBRE Group, Inc.CBRE3.10%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose IJR if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose IJR if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose IYR if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

Related Comparisons