High-yield dividend ETFs
Query: Dividend ETFs listed in the US with yield above 3%, sorted by expense ratio · data as of 2026-10-08
Built a dividend/income ETF screener: US-listed income-oriented ETFs with trailing yield >3%, sorted by lowest expense ratio (yield as tiebreak). 31 funds qualify — a low-cost credit core (high-yield/short-duration bond ETFs from 0.07% fees) plus specialist active fixed income and higher-yielding income-equity niches (MLP/energy infrastructure, international real estate). Columns include yield, expense ratio, AUM, 1M/6M/1Y returns, % from 52W high, % above 150D SMA and top holdings. Leveraged/inverse excluded. Note: classic broad US equity dividend-index ETFs are absent from the ETF dataset (flagged to data team), so the screen reflects measurable income ETFs.
As of October 8, 2026, 31 income-oriented US-listed ETFs screen with a trailing dividend/distribution yield above 3%, sorted from lowest to highest expense ratio (yield breaks ties). The list skews to bond income funds — high-yield credit, municipals and ultra-short duration — plus a handful of income-equity niches (MLP/energy infrastructure and international real estate/value). Note: the classic equity dividend ETFs (e.g. broad US dividend-index funds) are not currently covered in our ETF dataset, so this screen reflects the income ETFs we can measure. Leveraged/inverse products are excluded.
Dividend & Income ETFs — Yield > 3%, Sorted by Lowest Expense Ratio
| Symbol | Fund Name | ETF Type | Category / Theme | Dividend Yield (%) | Expense Ratio (%) | AUM ($) | 1M Return (%) | 6M Return (%) | 1Y Return (%) | % from 52W High | % above 150D SMA | Top Holdings | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BBHY | JPMorgan BetaBuilders USD High | bond | High Yield Corporate Bonds | 6.07% | 0.07% | 6.09e+08 | -1.95% | -0.70% | 1.59% | -5.79% | -1.04% | MGMXX | One of the cheapest ways to own US high-yield credit — rock-bottom fee for a passively managed, broadly diversified junk-bond sleeve. Best suited to an investor who wants credit beta with minimal cost drag rather than active risk management. |
| USHY | iShares Broad USD High Yield Co | bond | High Yield Corporate Bonds | 5.93% | 0.08% | 2.683e+10 | -1.78% | -0.57% | 1.74% | -5.66% | -0.88% | XTSLA | The go-to diversified USD high-yield core: deep liquidity and huge scale make it a default building block for income portfolios. Its broad index means no single-issuer credit blow-up can dominate the distribution. |
| HAUZ | Xtrackers International Real Estate ETF | theme | International Real Estate | 3.90% | 0.10% | 1.046e+09 | -6.14% | -10.54% | -7.61% | -18.31% | -8.00% | GMG.AX, 8802.T, 8801.T, 8830.T, 0016.HK, VNA.DE, SGRO.L, SCG.AX, 0823.HK, SPSN.SW | The rare equity-income name in this low-cost tier: listed international real estate offers a property-income stream functionally similar to a REIT, but at a fraction of US REIT valuations. Risk is heavily non-US currency and a soft global property cycle. |
| BYLD | iShares Yield Optimized Bond ET | bond | Yield Optimized Bonds | 4.67% | 0.13% | 4.501e+08 | -2.24% | -2.24% | -0.52% | -6.54% | -2.07% | SYSB, USHY, IGIB, GNMA, LEMB, IGLB, IGEB, XTSLA | A multi-sector bond 'fund of funds' that rotates across high yield, investment grade and emerging-market debt — useful as a one-ticker core fixed-income holding, though its multi-sector flexibility pushes turnover much higher than single-strategy peers. |
| JPST | JPMorgan Ultra-Short Income ETF | bond | Ultra-Short Income | 3.46% | 0.18% | 3.84e+10 | 0.09% | 1.60% | 3.49% | -1.00% | 0.88% | MGMXX | A cash-management parking spot dressed as income: ultra-short duration keeps interest-rate risk minimal, so yield tracks the front end rather than long bonds. The expense ratio is high for what is essentially a money-market substitute — worth it only for its ETF liquidity and tax treatment versus a money fund. |
| GMUB | Goldman Sachs Municipal Income | bond | Municipal Bonds | 3.02% | 0.18% | — | -2.64% | -3.51% | -0.93% | -6.45% | -3.38% | FTIXX | Tax-exempt municipal income aimed at high-bracket investors; the headline yield understates the after-tax advantage versus taxable bonds of the same maturity. Municipal credit and a steep-ish curve are the key swing factors. |
| EVSD | Eaton Vance Short Duration Inco | bond | Short Duration Income | 3.92% | 0.24% | 1.254e+09 | -0.78% | 0.01% | 1.65% | -3.35% | -0.28% | MVRXX, EVLN | — |
| CDX | Simplify High Yield ETF | bond | High Yield Bonds | 6.99% | 0.25% | 4.069e+08 | -0.52% | -2.68% | -3.94% | -11.42% | -1.19% | SBIL | An actively managed high-yield strategy that leans into rate-hedging and tactical credit positioning rather than a static index — the differentiator versus plain-vanilla junk ETFs, at the cost of active-management risk. |
| TUSI | Touchstone Ultra Short Income E | bond | Ultrashort Bonds | 3.34% | 0.25% | 4.971e+08 | -0.20% | 1.53% | 3.71% | -0.82% | 0.73% | DGCXX | — |
| SHYG | iShares 0-5 Year High Yield Cor | bond | High Yield Corporate Short | 5.99% | 0.30% | 7.584e+09 | -1.17% | 0.28% | 2.56% | -4.85% | -0.21% | XTSLA | Short-maturity high yield: it captures the fat part of the junk-bond spread curve while keeping duration low, so it is more insulated from the long end than core high yield. A cleaner way to express a 'carry without duration' credit view. |
| HYDB | iShares High Yield Systematic B | bond | High Yield Bonds | 5.98% | 0.35% | 1.627e+09 | -2.14% | -1.02% | 1.19% | -6.06% | -1.27% | XTSLA | — |
| IBHI | iShares iBonds 2029 Term High Y | bond | High Yield Bonds | 5.63% | 0.35% | 4.427e+08 | -1.15% | 0.63% | 2.86% | -4.24% | 0.09% | XTSLA | — |
| IBHH | iShares iBonds 2028 Term High Y | bond | High Yield Bonds | 5.21% | 0.35% | 4.458e+08 | -0.35% | 1.20% | 3.49% | -2.98% | 0.63% | XTSLA | — |
| IBHF | iShares iBonds 2026 Term High Y | bond | High Yield Bonds | 5.05% | 0.35% | 9.242e+08 | -0.17% | 0.16% | 1.54% | -4.32% | 0.15% | XTSLA | — |
| IBHG | iShares iBonds 2027 Term High Y | bond | High Yield Bonds | 4.98% | 0.35% | 4.377e+08 | -0.19% | 1.10% | 2.86% | -3.46% | 0.58% | XTSLA | — |
| YLD | Principal Active High Yield ETF | bond | High Yield Bond | 6.41% | 0.39% | 5.455e+08 | -2.36% | -0.08% | 2.15% | -5.23% | -0.87% | GVMXX | — |
| PHYL | PGIM Active High Yield Bond ETF | bond | High Yield Bonds | 5.26% | 0.39% | 1.301e+09 | -1.86% | -0.86% | 1.34% | -5.96% | -1.17% | PAAA | — |
| HIMU | iShares High Yield Muni Active | bond | High Yield Municipal Bonds | 4.79% | 0.39% | 2.251e+09 | -3.73% | -4.60% | -2.57% | -9.29% | -4.88% | MCSXX | Actively managed high-yield munis serve investors who want tax-free income but can tolerate below-investment-grade municipal credit. Small niche, less liquid, and best paired with a clear municipal tax-bracket rationale. |
| DCRE | DoubleLine Commercial Real Esta | bond | Commercial Real Estate Debt | 3.99% | 0.39% | 4.51e+08 | -0.77% | 0.30% | 2.43% | -2.85% | -0.19% | DGCXX, NITXX, MVRXX | A credit-first route into commercial real estate: it owns the debt rather than the equity, so distributions come from loan coupons and can be less volatile than a property REIT. Office and retail CRE stress is the credit risk to underwrite. |
| FLHY | Franklin High Yield Corporate E | bond | High Yield Corporate | 5.62% | 0.40% | 1.164e+09 | -1.79% | -0.57% | 2.42% | -4.88% | -0.89% | INFXX | — |
| FLXR | TCW Flexible Income ETF | bond | Flexible Income Bonds | 5.28% | 0.40% | 3.21e+09 | -1.35% | -0.59% | 1.41% | -5.21% | -0.91% | TGCXX, TPYTX | Unconstrained approach — the manager can roam across the entire income universe, which can smooth a bon/lousy credit cycle but makes it hard to know what you own. High turnover reflects the tactical mandate. |
| BSJS | Invesco BulletShares 2028 High | bond | High Yield Corporate Bonds | 5.12% | 0.42% | 6.933e+08 | -0.48% | 1.37% | 3.54% | -2.62% | 0.61% | AGPXX | — |
| BSJR | Invesco BulletShares 2027 High | bond | High Yield Corporate Bonds | 4.62% | 0.42% | 8.49e+08 | -0.18% | 1.28% | 3.15% | -2.33% | 0.77% | AGPXX | — |
| BSJQ | Invesco BulletShares 2026 High | bond | High Yield Corporate Bonds | 4.70% | 0.43% | 1.042e+09 | 0.10% | 0.76% | 2.81% | -2.66% | 0.58% | AGPXX | — |
| MLPX | Global X MLP & Energy Infrastructure ETF | theme | MLP & Energy Infrastructure | 4.23% | 0.45% | 3.543e+09 | -4.83% | -0.33% | 21.58% | -6.66% | -0.81% | WMB, TRP.TO, ENB.TO, KMI, OKE, TRGP, LNG, MPLX, ET, PPL.TO | Midstream energy infrastructure MLPs throw off high, largely fee-based distributions tied to energy volumes, not commodity prices. The trade-off is K-1 tax reporting and concentration risk in North American pipelines. |
| HYG | iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corp | bond | High Yield Corporate Bonds | 5.09% | 0.49% | 1.611e+10 | -1.90% | -1.01% | 1.29% | -5.09% | -1.14% | XTSLA | The benchmark US high-yield ETF: unmatched liquidity makes it the most heavily traded way to take or hedge junk-credit exposure. Its size is an advantage for traders, less so for buy-and-hold income investors who pay for the illiquidity of the underlying bonds. |
| EMHY | iShares J.P. Morgan EM High Yie | bond | Emerging Markets High Yield Bonds | 5.63% | 0.50% | 5.915e+08 | -2.67% | -0.24% | 4.39% | -5.66% | -1.48% | XTSLA | Emerging-market high yield pairs sovereign and corporate credit risk with currency exposure — the highest-octane corner of the credit market. Attractive spreads, but vulnerable to dollar strength and EM risk sentiment. |
| FISR | State Street Fixed Income Secto | bond | Fixed Income Sector Rotation | 3.67% | 0.50% | 4.825e+08 | -1.63% | -2.92% | -1.80% | -7.06% | -2.16% | SPBO, SPTI, SPTS, SPMB, SPTL, SPHY, EMHC, LVLN | A fixed-income sector-rotation strategy that actively shifts among Treasury, credit and securitized sleeves — a tactical core bond substitute. Its appeal is the rotation overlay; the cost is a materially higher fee than a static aggregate-bond index fund. |
| HYGH | iShares Interest Rate Hedged Hi | bond | Interest Rate Hedged High Yield | 5.46% | 0.52% | 5.291e+08 | -0.88% | 1.99% | 5.47% | -2.14% | 0.78% | HYG, XTSLA | High yield with the interest-rate component hedged away, isolating pure credit spread. A deliberate tool for investors who want junk-bond coupon without the duration risk of long rates. |
| MLPA | Global X MLP ETF | theme | Energy MLPs | 7.41% | 0.77% | 2.103e+09 | -5.99% | 4.65% | 22.35% | -5.99% | 0.90% | ET, EPD, MPLX, PAA, WES, SUN, HESM, CQP, USAC, GEL | The yield leader here, but its high headline distribution comes with MLP structure quirks: substantial deferred-tax liability embedded in the NAV (which suppresses total return) and K-1 reporting. Understand the C-corp wrapper before buying for the headline. |
| AMLP | Alerian MLP ETF | theme | MLP | 7.70% | 1.01% | 1.214e+10 | -5.89% | 4.91% | 23.18% | -5.89% | 1.01% | SUN, ET, PAA, WES, MPLX, EPD, HESM, CQP, USAC, GEL | The largest and priciest MLP fund — scale and liquidity come at a fee that eats into one of the highest yields on the list. A pure-play pipeline-income vehicle best held in a tax-advantaged account. |
Summary
Dividend-focused income ETFs — trailing yield above 3%, cheapest first.
The screen returns income ETFs sorted by expense ratio ascending, with dividend yield breaking ties. Because the low-cost tier is dominated by fixed-income funds, the list naturally splits into three groups:
- Low-cost credit (0.07–0.30%): passively managed high-yield and short-duration corporate bond funds. These are the cheapest vehicles for taxable income and are typically used as core bond sleeves.
- Active & specialist fixed income (0.35–0.52%): municipal income, multi-sector, CRE-debt and rate-hedged strategies. Here the fee buys an active mandate — tax exemption, credit selection or duration hedging — rather than a static index.
- Income equity (0.45–1.01%): MLP / energy-infrastructure and international real estate funds. These carry the highest headline yields on the list but are the priciest and come with structural complexity (K-1 reporting, embedded tax liabilities, currency and commodity-linked risk).
How to read this list: the lowest expense ratio is not automatically the best income holding. Ultra-cheap core credit and ultra-short funds compete directly with money-market yields; the marginal fee on the specialist vehicles buys the specific exposure — tax exemption, hedging, or commodity-linked distributions — that a generic index fund cannot deliver.
Coverage note: classic broad US equity dividend-index ETFs (the largest dividend-income category) are not currently represented in our ETF dataset, so this screen reflects the income ETFs that can be measured. Leveraged and inverse products are excluded by design.
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