Is AVB or DLR cheaper?

On trailing earnings, AVB is cheaper: AVB trades at a 23.26 P/E and DLR at 48.47.

Which has grown faster, AVB or DLR?

Over the past five years, DLR grew revenue faster — AVB at a 6.36% CAGR versus DLR at 9.00%.

Does AVB or DLR pay a bigger dividend?

AVB yields 3.76% and DLR yields 1.99% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is AVB or DLR more profitable?

AVB runs the higher net margin — AVB at 37.27% versus DLR at 21.47%.

Which has been the better investment, AVB or DLR?

Over the past 10-year, DLR delivered the higher annualized total return — AVB at 4.41% versus DLR at 9.78%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (AVB) vs Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (DLR)

AVB leads on 11 of 15 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of AvalonBay Communities, Inc. and Digital Realty Trust, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 14, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

AVB

AvalonBay Communities, Inc.

$26.53B

$187.03Real Estate

DLR

Digital Realty Trust, Inc.

$64.73B

$184.20Real Estate

Total return — AVB vs DLR

growth of $100 · last 22y

AVB +185.7%DLR +1435.0%DLR compounded faster

Log scale — wide-divergence pair

AVB DLR

AVB vs DLR: by the numbers

•DLR is the larger company ($64.73B vs $26.53B market cap).
•AVB trades at the lower earnings multiple (23.26 vs 48.47 P/E).
•AVB converts more revenue to profit (37.27% vs 21.47% net margin).
•DLR grew revenue faster over the past five years (9.00% vs 6.36% CAGR).
•AVB pays the higher dividend yield (3.76% vs 1.99%).

Which is better, AVB or DLR?

Metric tally: AVB 11 · DLR 4

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueAVB(lower P/E)

GrowthDLR(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

IncomeAVB(higher dividend yield)

QualityAVB(higher ROIC)

Valuation

Metric	AVB	DLR
P/E ratio	23.26●	48.47
Forward P/E	34.15●	81.80
P/S ratio	8.60●	10.14
P/B ratio	2.29●	2.78
PEG ratio	4.98	0.36●
EV / EBITDA	17.86●	20.84

Profitability

Metric	AVB	DLR
Gross margin	67.92%●	25.12%
Operating margin	29.15%●	14.61%
Net margin	37.27%●	21.47%
ROE	9.94%●	5.90%
ROIC	4.28%●	1.30%

Dividends

Metric	AVB	DLR
Dividend yield	3.76%●	1.99%
Payout ratio	95.00%	98.12%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	AVB	DLR
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	6.36%	9.00%●
EPS CAGR (5Y)	4.67%	29.87%●
Total return CAGR (5Y)	0.64%	6.16%●

Frequently asked

Which is better, AVB or DLR?: It depends on your goal. value: AVB (lower P/E); growth: DLR (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: AVB (higher dividend yield); quality: AVB (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, AVB leads 11 to 4.
Is AVB or DLR cheaper?: On trailing earnings, AVB is cheaper: AVB trades at a 23.26 P/E and DLR at 48.47.
Which has grown faster, AVB or DLR?: Over the past five years, DLR grew revenue faster — AVB at a 6.36% CAGR versus DLR at 9.00%.
Does AVB or DLR pay a bigger dividend?: AVB yields 3.76% and DLR yields 1.99% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is AVB or DLR more profitable?: AVB runs the higher net margin — AVB at 37.27% versus DLR at 21.47%.
Which has been the better investment, AVB or DLR?: Over the past 10-year, DLR delivered the higher annualized total return — AVB at 4.41% versus DLR at 9.78%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full AVB analysis Full DLR analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

AvalonBay Communities P/E ratio Digital Realty Trust P/E ratio AvalonBay Communities dividend yield Digital Realty Trust dividend yield AvalonBay Communities ROE Digital Realty Trust ROE AvalonBay Communities operating margin Digital Realty Trust operating margin AvalonBay Communities revenue growth Digital Realty Trust revenue growth AvalonBay Communities free cash flow Digital Realty Trust free cash flow

AvalonBay Communities & Digital Realty Trust appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Highest FCF Yield Stocks

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 14, 2026.