What is a Dividend King?
A Dividend King is a US company that has increased its dividend payment every year for at least 50 consecutive years. This is twice the requirement of a Dividend Aristocrat. As of 2026, approximately 50 companies hold Dividend King status. The most common sectors represented are utilities, water utilities, consumer staples, and industrials — sectors with historically stable and predictable cash flows.
Which company has the longest dividend growth streak?
SJW Group holds the longest streak at 80+ consecutive years of dividend increases as of 2026. Other ultra-long streaks include California Water Service Group (77+ years), American States Water (69+ years), Northwest Natural (69+ years), and Dover Corporation (69+ years). These companies have maintained their streak through the Great Depression, WWII, the 2008 financial crisis, and the 2020 pandemic.
What is the average yield of Dividend Kings in 2026?
The average forward dividend yield of Dividend Kings is 4.05% as of 2026. Individual yields range from under 1% for high-growth companies to over 6% for tobacco companies and certain utilities. The modest average yield reflects that many Kings are slow-growth, conservative businesses — they are best valued for income reliability and compound growth over decades, not for immediate high income.
Is a Dividend King automatically a Dividend Aristocrat?
Not necessarily. A Dividend King requires 50+ years of increases but has no S&P 500 membership requirement. A Dividend Aristocrat requires 25+ years AND S&P 500 membership. Many Dividend Kings — particularly smaller utility and water companies like SJW Group, California Water Service, and Middlesex Water — are not S&P 500 members and therefore are Kings but not Aristocrats. However, any large-cap King that qualifies for S&P 500 inclusion would also be an Aristocrat.
How do I calculate dividend income from Dividend Kings?
Use the free DRIP calculator linked next to each Dividend King in the table above. Enter your investment amount, select your account type (Roth IRA, 401k, taxable), and model the impact of annual dividend growth over your chosen time horizon. The yield-on-cost tracker shows how your effective yield grows over time as the dividend increases each year — this is the core advantage of long-term Dividend King investing.