Best Dividend Growth ETFs (Including Dividend Aristocrats)

22 funds in our universe match this category. Sort the table by any column - default sort is trailing 12-month yield, highest first.

Dividend-growth ETFs hold companies with a track record of raising their dividend, rather than screening for the highest current yield. The category includes both broad dividend-growth index funds (SCHD, VIG, DGRO, DGRW) and funds that track the literal S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats index - U.S. companies that have raised their dividend every year for at least 25 consecutive years. NOBL is the ETF most investors mean when they search "dividend aristocrats ETF," since it tracks that exact index; the broader dividend-growth funds in the table below use their own, less restrictive screens but land on a similar theme of quality, durability, and a rising payout.

Trailing yield in this category tends to look modest next to covered-call or option-income funds - often 1.5-4.5%, well below the 8%+ headline numbers common elsewhere on this site. That is by design: dividend-growth funds are optimized for a rising income stream and lower volatility over a full market cycle, not for maximizing this year's cash payout. The pitch is compounding - a smaller yield today that has historically grown faster than inflation, sourced from real operating earnings rather than options premium or return of capital.

This is also the category with the longest live track records in the ETF market - SCHD (2011) and VIG (2006) have both been through at least one full bear market, and NOBL and its Aristocrats index methodology existed before that. If "sleep well at night" income with a rising payout matters more to you than this year's absolute yield, this table is the place to start; if you want maximum current cash flow, see the covered-call and monthly/weekly-dividend hubs instead.

Ticker	Name	Grade	TTM Yield	Exp. Ratio	AUM	1Y Return
HDV	iShares Core High Dividend ETF	A	11.95%	0.080%	$10.00B	+19.6%
IDV	iShares International Select Dividend ETF	B	5.39%	0.490%	$4.00B	+33.1%
SPYD	SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF	B	5.36%	0.070%	$7.00B	+17.9%
SPHD	Invesco S&P 500 High Div Low Volatility ETF	C	4.44%	0.300%	$3.00B	+11.8%
PEY	Invesco High Yield Equity Dividend Achievers ETF	A	4.34%	0.540%	$1.00B	+20.8%
NOBL	ProShares S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF	B	4.15%	0.350%	$11.00B	+13.1%
SCHD	Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF	A	4.09%	0.060%	$65.00B	+26.4%
FDL	First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund	B	3.73%	0.450%	$2.00B	+23.5%
VYMI	Vanguard International High Dividend Yield ETF	B	3.48%	0.220%	$6.00B	+31.4%
DVY	iShares Select Dividend ETF	A	3.41%	0.380%	$19.00B	+22.6%
SCHY	Schwab International Dividend Equity ETF	A	3.41%	0.140%	$4.00B	+26.4%
SDY	SPDR S&P Dividend ETF	C	3.12%	0.350%	$20.00B	+15.2%
FDVV	Fidelity High Dividend ETF	B	2.71%	0.160%	$8.47B	+22.5%
FVD	First Trust Value Line Dividend Index Fund	C	2.26%	0.700%	$2.50B	+9.5%
DIVB	iShares US Dividend and Buyback ETF	B	2.24%	0.050%	$700.0M	+27.4%
VYM	Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF	A	2.23%	0.060%	$55.00B	+24.8%
DGRO	iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF	A	1.96%	0.080%	$29.00B	+21.5%
SCHV	Schwab US Large-Cap Value ETF	B	1.82%	0.040%	$10.00B	+25.1%
COWS	Amplify Cash Flow Dividend Leaders ETF	B	1.59%	0.290%	$33.0M	+26.8%
VIG	Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF	A	1.47%	0.060%	$90.00B	+18.4%
PFM	Invesco Dividend Achievers ETF	A	1.34%	0.540%	$1.00B	+18.3%
DGRW	WisdomTree US Quality Dividend Growth Fund	A	1.29%	0.280%	$12.00B	+15.0%

YTF grades are research-only, not financial advice. Yield, expense ratio, and AUM are point-in-time snapshots - open a fund's profile for current data and full dividend history.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Dividend Aristocrats ETF?

NOBL (ProShares S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF) is the fund most closely tied to the literal Dividend Aristocrats index - S&P 500 companies with 25+ consecutive years of dividend increases. Other funds in this table (SCHD, VIG, DGRO, DGRW) use their own dividend-growth or dividend-quality screens that overlap with the Aristocrats theme without tracking that exact index.

What is the difference between a dividend growth ETF and a Dividend Aristocrats ETF?

A Dividend Aristocrats ETF (like NOBL) tracks a specific index requiring 25+ consecutive years of dividend increases. A dividend-growth ETF is a broader label for funds that screen for rising-dividend companies using their own methodology, which may have shorter streak requirements or add quality/fundamentals filters - SCHD, VIG, and DGRO are all dividend-growth funds but do not track the Aristocrats index specifically.

Why is the yield on dividend growth ETFs lower than other income ETFs?

Dividend-growth funds prioritize companies with rising payouts and durable earnings over funds that maximize current yield, so their starting yield is usually lower than a covered-call or high-yield fund. The argument for them is that the dividend stream itself tends to grow over time, plus more price stability, rather than a high but potentially variable payout today.

More ETF lists

Best Covered Call ETFs → Best Monthly Dividend ETFs → Best Weekly Dividend ETFs →

Disclaimer

Numbers on this site are for research and educational use only - not individualized investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell securities. ETFs involve risk including possible loss of principal. Past yield and performance do not predict future results. Yield to Freedom (YTF) grades are illustrative and subjective; verify all data independently.