Is AIRC or EQR a better dividend investment in 2026?

AIRC currently yields 4.61% with a 5% 5-year dividend growth rate. EQR yields 5.87% with 5% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: EQR offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between AIRC and EQR?

AIRC has a forward dividend yield of 4.61% ($1.80/share annually). EQR yields 5.87% ($3.47/share annually). The yield gap is 1.26 percentage points.

Home › Compare › AIRC vs EQR

AIRC vs EQR: Dividend Comparison 2026

AIRC yields 4.61% · EQR yields 5.87%● Live data

vsPost on X →

After 10 years · $10,000 invested · DRIP enabled

🏆 EQR wins by $24.0K in total portfolio value

INVESTMENT

TIME HORIZON10 years

AIRC

● Live price

4.61%

Share price

$39.08

Annual div

$1.80

5Y div CAGR

-10.7%

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$23.8K

Annual income

$178.62

Full AIRC calculator →

EQR

● Live price

5.87%

Share price

$59.15

Annual div

$3.47

5Y div CAGR

15.8%

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$47.8K

Annual income

$5,475.61

Full EQR calculator →

Portfolio growth — AIRC vs EQR

📍 EQR pulled ahead of the other in Year 1

Annual dividend income

🛡️

Recession Test — Did They Cut Dividends?

How each stock treated shareholders during the 3 biggest crises of the last 20 years

Crisis Period	AIRC	EQR
2008–2009 GFC	— No data	— No data
2020 Q1–Q2 COVID	— No data	— No data
2022 Q4 Rate Hike	— No data	— No data

Based on dividend payment history. "Increased" = dividend grew during crisis. "Maintained" = held within 3%. "Cut" = reduced by more than 3%.

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Dividend Calendar Overlap

Combined, AIRC + EQR cover 0 of 12 months — good coverage

Jan

—

Feb

—

Mar

—

Apr

—

May

—

Jun

—

Jul

—

Aug

—

Sep

—

Oct

—

Nov

—

Dec

—

AIRC pays

EQR pays

Both pay

Neither

💰

Tax Bracket Optimizer

Which stock is actually better after tax? Adjust your rate to find out.

AIRC

Annual income on $10K today (after 15% tax)

$391.50/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$151.83/yr

EQR

Annual income on $10K today (after 15% tax)

$499.01/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$4,654.27/yr

At 15% tax rate, EQR beats the other by $4,502.44/year in after-tax income after 10 years on $10,000

⚖️

Lazy Portfolio Split Optimizer

What's the optimal mix of AIRC + EQR for your $10,000?

AIRC: 50%EQR: 50%

100% EQR50/50100% AIRC

Portfolio after 10yr

$35.8K

Annual income

$2,827.11/yr

Blended yield

7.89%

📊

Analyst Conviction Gap

Where Wall Street is most bullish on EQR right now

AIRC

Analyst Ratings

Buy

Hold

Consensus: Hold

Price Target

$39.06

-0.1% upside vs current

Range: $39.00 — $39.12

Altman Z

0.8

Piotroski

7/9

EQR

Analyst Ratings

Buy

Hold

Sell

Consensus: Hold

Price Target

$70.35

+18.9% upside vs current

Range: $63.00 — $78.50

Altman Z

1.8

Piotroski

7/9

Analyst ratings via FMP. Altman Z-Score: >3.0 safe, 1.81–3.0 grey zone, <1.81 distress. Piotroski: 7–9 strong, 0–3 weak.

🏛️

Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

AIRC buys

EQR buys

No recent congressional trades found for AIRC or EQR in the last 90 days.

STOCK Act mandates disclosure within 45 days of transaction. Data via FMP.Full tracker →

MetricAIRCEQR

Forward yield	4.61%	5.87% ✓
Annual dividend / share	$1.80	$3.47 ✓
Payout ratio	50%	50%
1-year div growth	0%	0%
5-year div CAGR	-10.7%	15.8% ✓
Portfolio after 10y	$23.8K	$47.8K ✓
Annual income after 10y	$178.62	$5,475.61 ✓
Total dividends collected	$2.9K	$23.0K ✓
Payment frequency	quarterly	quarterly
Sector	Stock	REIT
Analyst consensus	Hold	Hold
Analyst price target	$39.06	$70.35 ✓

Year-by-year: AIRC vs EQR ($10,000, DRIP)

Year	AIRC Portfolio	AIRC Income/yr	EQR Portfolio	EQR Income/yr	Gap
1← crossover	$11,111	$411.31	$11,380	$679.82	$269.00 → EQR
2	$12,271	$381.42	$13,014	$837.25	$743.00 → EQR
3	$13,481	$351.53	$14,961	$1,036.20	$1.5K → EQR
4	$14,747	$322.33	$17,297	$1,289.22	$2.5K → EQR
5	$16,074	$294.27	$20,121	$1,613.15	$4.0K → EQR
6	$17,466	$267.68	$23,561	$2,030.84	$6.1K → EQR
7	$18,932	$242.76	$27,783	$2,573.54	$8.9K → EQR
8	$20,477	$219.60	$33,013	$3,284.39	$12.5K → EQR
9	$22,108	$198.23	$39,547	$4,223.51	$17.4K → EQR
10	$23,834	$178.62	$47,791	$5,475.61	$24.0K → EQR

AIRC vs EQR: Complete Analysis 2026

AIRC — Stock

AIR is a real estate investment trust focused on the ownership and management of quality apartment communities located in the largest markets in the United States. AIR is one of the country's largest owners and operators of apartments, with 99 communities in 12 states and the District of Columbia. AIR common shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol AIRC, and are included in the S&P 400. For more information about AIR, please visit our website at www.aircommunities.com.

Full AIRC Calculator →

EQR — REIT

Equity Residential is committed to creating communities where people thrive. The Company, a member of the S&P 500, is focused on the acquisition, development and management of residential properties located in and around dynamic cities that attract high quality long-term renters. Equity Residential owns or has investments in 305 properties consisting of 78,568 apartment units, located in Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., Seattle, San Francisco, Southern California and Denver.

Full EQR Calculator →

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⚠️ Educational purposes only. Not financial advice. Congressional trades sourced from SEC STOCK Act filings via FMP. Past performance does not guarantee future results.