Is ADC or ESS cheaper?

On trailing earnings, ESS is cheaper: ADC trades at a 40.77 P/E and ESS at 31.88.

Which has grown faster, ADC or ESS?

Over the past five years, ADC grew revenue faster — ADC at a 22.62% CAGR versus ESS at 5.52%.

Does ADC or ESS pay a bigger dividend?

ADC yields 4.13% and ESS yields 3.63% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is ADC or ESS more profitable?

ESS runs the higher net margin — ADC at 29.28% versus ESS at 30.17%.

Which has been the better investment, ADC or ESS?

Over the past 10-year, ADC delivered the higher annualized total return — ADC at 9.97% versus ESS at 6.54%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Agree Realty Corporation (ADC) vs Essex Property Trust, Inc. (ESS)

ESS leads on 10 of 17 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of Agree Realty Corporation and Essex Property Trust, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 13, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

ADC

Agree Realty Corporation

$9.11B

$75.83Real Estate

ESS

Essex Property Trust, Inc.

$18.23B

$283.75Real Estate

Total return — ADC vs ESS

growth of $100 · last 30y

ADC +321.3%ESS +1235.3%ESS compounded faster

ADC ESS

ADC vs ESS: by the numbers

•ESS is the larger company ($18.23B vs $9.11B market cap).
•ESS trades at the lower earnings multiple (31.88 vs 40.77 P/E).
•ESS converts more revenue to profit (30.17% vs 29.28% net margin).
•ADC grew revenue faster over the past five years (22.62% vs 5.52% CAGR).
•ADC pays the higher dividend yield (4.13% vs 3.63%).

Which is better, ADC or ESS?

Metric tally: ADC 7 · ESS 10

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueESS(lower P/E)

GrowthADC(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

IncomeADC(higher dividend yield)

QualityESS(higher ROIC)

Valuation

Metric	ADC	ESS
P/E ratio	40.77	31.88●
Forward P/E	36.71●	46.85
P/S ratio	12.17	9.59●
P/B ratio	1.46●	3.37
PEG ratio	370.63	8.66●
EV / EBITDA	20.21	17.12●
FCF yield	1.21%	5.27%●

Profitability

Metric	ADC	ESS
Gross margin	87.64%●	69.44%
Operating margin	48.03%●	38.38%
Net margin	29.28%	30.17%●
ROE	3.52%	10.59%●
ROIC	3.51%	6.13%●

Dividends

Metric	ADC	ESS
Dividend yield	4.13%●	3.63%
Payout ratio	176.84%	98.94%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	ADC	ESS
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	22.62%●	5.52%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	0.11%	3.68%●
FCF CAGR (5Y)	-7.18%	8.49%●
Total return CAGR (5Y)	5.56%●	1.54%

Frequently asked

Which is better, ADC or ESS?: It depends on your goal. value: ESS (lower P/E); growth: ADC (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: ADC (higher dividend yield); quality: ESS (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, ESS leads 10 to 7.
Is ADC or ESS cheaper?: On trailing earnings, ESS is cheaper: ADC trades at a 40.77 P/E and ESS at 31.88.
Which has grown faster, ADC or ESS?: Over the past five years, ADC grew revenue faster — ADC at a 22.62% CAGR versus ESS at 5.52%.
Does ADC or ESS pay a bigger dividend?: ADC yields 4.13% and ESS yields 3.63% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is ADC or ESS more profitable?: ESS runs the higher net margin — ADC at 29.28% versus ESS at 30.17%.
Which has been the better investment, ADC or ESS?: Over the past 10-year, ADC delivered the higher annualized total return — ADC at 9.97% versus ESS at 6.54%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full ADC analysis Full ESS analysis Interactive comparison tool

ADC & ESS appear in these rankings

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Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 13, 2026.