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ETF Dividend Calculator

Forecast ETF dividend income, yield on cost, and portfolio value using historical data for SCHD, VYM, VOO and more, with DRIP and scenarios.

Results update instantly.Change any value and the estimate recalculates on the spot.

Money

ETF Dividend Forecaster

Forecast ETF dividend income and yield on cost from historical data, with DRIP and scenarios.

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%
%/yr
%/yr
years
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Projection scenario

Scales the dividend and price growth rates above.

Annual dividend income (final year)

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  • Total dividends collected-
  • Yield on cost-
  • Ending portfolio value-
  • Total return-
Portfolio valueDividend income

Illustrative only. Dividend growth and price growth are assumptions, not guarantees. Companies can cut or suspend dividends at any time.

What a dividend growth projection shows

This projection simulates year-by-year compounding: the dividend per share grows at the entered rate, the share price grows at its own rate, and with DRIP on, each dividend buys more shares at that year's price. Any yearly additional investment buys shares at that year's price.

For context, the S&P 500 has returned about 10% per year over the long run before inflation. This calculator starts from each ETF's own history instead, and every rate stays adjustable - treat the past as a reference point, not a promise.

Year t dividend = starting dividend x (1 + growth)^(t-1)
Does DRIP always win?
Not always. Reinvesting compounds share count, which wins when the price trends up. If the price falls, reinvested dividends buy cheaper shares, which can still help long term - but taking cash gives flexibility.
What if the company cuts the dividend?
A cut breaks the growth assumption. Rerun the projection with a lower or negative growth rate to see the impact, and remember diversification matters more than any single payer.

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How it works

How the ETF Dividend Calculator works

Quick answer: $10,000 in an ETF yielding 3.5%, with dividends growing 6% a year and reinvested, would pay about $1,860.26 in dividends in year 20, a yield on cost of 18.6%.

Formula

Year t dividend per share = starting dividend × (1 + growth)^(t − 1)
Shares grow when dividends are reinvested at that year's price (DRIP)

Share price grows at the price growth rate you enter; yield on cost is the final year's dividend ÷ total amount invested.

Worked example

$10,000, 3.5% yield, 6% dividend growth, 7% price growth, 20 years, DRIP on. Year-20 dividend income: $1,860.26. Total dividends: $18,428. Ending value: $69,838.

$10,000 at 3.5% yield, 6% dividend growth, DRIP on

YearsAnnual dividend incomePortfolio value
5 years$501.69$16,426Open
10 years$781.80$26,790Open
20 years$1,860.26$69,838Open
30 years$4,316.51$177,580Open

Assumptions and limits

  • Historical yields and growth rates are not guaranteed to continue.
  • Dividend taxes and fund expense ratios are not deducted.

Frequently asked questions

What is yield on cost?

Yield on cost divides the annual dividend by the original amount invested, showing income relative to what was paid.

What is DRIP?

A dividend reinvestment plan uses each dividend payment to buy more shares automatically, compounding share count over time.

Where do the ETF numbers come from?

Each preset is built from actual price and dividend history from Yahoo Finance, measured through October 2026 (6 to 34 years depending on the ETF). History sets the starting assumptions - it does not predict the future.

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