ETF Evaluator:
Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF ()
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(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Muni National Interm Over the Last Year
| 7.5% | Simplify National Muni Bond ETF (NMB) |
| 6.9% | X-Square Municipal Income Tax Free ETF (ZTAX) |
| 6.3% | BNY Mellon Municipal Opportunities ETF (BMOP) |
| 6.2% | PIMCO Muncpl Income Oppos Act Ex-Trd (MINO) |
| 6.0% | American Century Divers Muncpl Bd ETF (TAXF) |
Risk
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Risk
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ETF Details
Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF Overview
Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF (VTEB) is a passively managed Municipal Bond Muni National Interm exchange-traded fund (ETF). Vanguard launched the ETF in 2015.
The investment seeks to track the Standard & Poor's National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index, which measures the performance of the investment-grade segment of the U.S. municipal bond market.
The Target Index includes municipal bonds issued by states, local governments, or agencies whose interest is exempt from U.S. federal income taxes and the federal alternative minimum tax (AMT). Under normal circumstances, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in the bonds that make up the Target Index.
About Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF (VTEB)
There are 1 members of the management team with an average tenure of 2.83 years: Justin Schwartz (2023). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 2 primary benchmarks: Bloomberg Municipal TR USD index with a weighting of 100% and S&P National AMT Free Muni TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF has 10570 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 1.0% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF is part of the Fixed Income global asset class and is within the Municipal Bond ETF group. Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF has 0.0% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 0.0% There is 0.0% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 98.4% (98.4% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF has 1.6% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $45 billion in total assets, which is above the $2 billion average for the Muni National Interm category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
VTEB Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF expense ratio is low compared to funds in the Muni National Interm category. Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF has an expense ratio of 0.03%, which is 89% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a A. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 23%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 41% for the Muni National Interm category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF returned -1.7%, which earned it a grade of D, as the Muni National Interm category had an average return of -1.6%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.
Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF has a trailing yield of 3.42%, which is below the 3.53% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income monthly.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 0.3%, 0.0 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of C. The fund has returned 5.2% over the past year (grade of B), 2.9% over the past three years (grade of D) and 0.5% per year over the past five years (grade of C) and 1.9% per year over the past 10 years (grade of C).
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VTEB Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 7/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| VTEB Return (NAV) | -1.7% | -0.6% | 5.2% | 2.9% | 0.5% | 1.9% |
| VTEB Return (Price) | -1.7% | -0.6% | 5.4% | 2.9% | 0.5% | 1.8% |
| NAV +/- Price Return | -0.078% | 0.020% | -0.170% | -0.032% | -0.010% | 0.024% |
| Muni National Interm Avg | -1.6% | -0.5% | 4.9% | 3.3% | 0.6% | 1.9% |
| VTEB Grade (NAV) | D | D | B | D | C | C |
| +/- Category (NAV) | -0.2% | -0.1% | 0.3% | -0.4% | -0.1% | -0.0% |
| VTEB Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
VTEB Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| VTEB Return (NAV) | 0.3% | 3.7% | 1.4% | 6.2% | -8.2% | 1.5% | 5.0% | 7.5% | 0.9% | 5.0% | 0.3% |
| VTEB Return (Price) | 0.3% | 3.7% | 1.3% | 6.2% | -8.0% | 1.1% | 5.2% | 7.3% | 1.1% | 4.9% | 0.2% |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | -0.063% | -0.001% | -0.045% | -0.008% | -0.022% | -0.216% | 0.037% | -2.1% | 11.7% | -2.0% | -43.3% |
| Muni National Interm Avg | 0.4% | 4.7% | 2.0% | 6.1% | -8.1% | 1.6% | 5.0% | 7.7% | 1.2% | 5.2% | 0.1% |
| VTEB Grade (NAV) | C | F | D | B | C | C | B | D | C | B | A |
| +/- Category | -0.0% | -1.0% | -0.6% | 0.1% | -0.1% | -0.2% | 0.0% | -0.2% | -0.3% | -0.2% | 0.2% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 0.95 |
| R-Squared: | 99% |
| Standard Deviation: | 5.5% |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.10 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Above Average |
| Total Risk Index: | 0.45 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Low |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 3.4% |
| Total Assets: | $ 48,558 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 45,750 Mil |
| Turnover: | 23.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.03% |
| Index Fund: | Yes |
| Index Tracked: | Bloomberg Municipal TR USD |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Monthly |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 1 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 2.8 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 2.8 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Schwartz Justin (2023) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 10570 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 1.0% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 0.0% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 98.4% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 1.6% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | Vanguard |
| Phone Number: | 866-499-8473 |
| Website: | www.vanguard.com |
| Inception Date: | August 21, 2015 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.03% (Rating: Low) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.28% |
