Is ESS or SUI cheaper?

On trailing earnings, SUI is cheaper: ESS trades at a 33.18 P/E and SUI at 11.01.

Which has grown faster, ESS or SUI?

Over the past five years, SUI grew revenue faster — ESS at a 5.52% CAGR versus SUI at 8.83%.

Does ESS or SUI pay a bigger dividend?

ESS yields 3.51% and SUI yields 3.69% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is ESS or SUI more profitable?

SUI runs the higher net margin — ESS at 30.17% versus SUI at 60.40%.

Which has been the better investment, ESS or SUI?

Over the past 10-year, SUI delivered the higher annualized total return — ESS at 6.58% versus SUI at 8.45%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Essex Property Trust, Inc. (ESS) vs Sun Communities, Inc. (SUI)

SUI leads on 11 of 15 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of Essex Property Trust, Inc. and Sun Communities, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 28, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

ESS

Essex Property Trust, Inc.

$18.98B

$295.34Real Estate

SUI

Sun Communities, Inc.

$14.94B

$121.25Real Estate

Total return — ESS vs SUI

growth of $100 · last 30y

ESS +1273.7%SUI +351.1%ESS compounded faster

ESS SUI

ESS vs SUI: by the numbers

•ESS is the larger company ($18.98B vs $14.94B market cap).
•SUI trades at the lower earnings multiple (11.01 vs 33.18 P/E).
•SUI converts more revenue to profit (60.40% vs 30.17% net margin).
•SUI grew revenue faster over the past five years (8.83% vs 5.52% CAGR).
•SUI pays the higher dividend yield (3.69% vs 3.51%).

Which is better, ESS or SUI?

Metric tally: ESS 4 · SUI 11

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueSUI(lower P/E)

GrowthSUI(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

IncomeSUI(higher dividend yield)

QualityESS(higher ROIC)

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	ESS	SUI
P/E ratio	33.18	11.01●
Forward P/E	48.76	42.55●
P/S ratio	9.98	6.56●
P/B ratio	3.50	2.22●
PEG ratio	9.02	0.01●
EV / EBITDA	19.24	17.49●

Profitability

Metric	ESS	SUI
Gross margin	69.44%●	9.26%
Operating margin	38.38%●	24.14%
Net margin	30.17%	60.40%●
ROE	10.59%	20.49%●
ROIC	5.98%●	2.96%

Dividends

Metric	ESS	SUI
Dividend yield	3.51%	3.69%●
Payout ratio	99.52%	41.33%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	ESS	SUI
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	5.52%	8.83%●
EPS CAGR (5Y)	3.68%	51.92%●
Total return CAGR (5Y)	2.81%●	-3.91%

Frequently asked

Which is better, ESS or SUI?: It depends on your goal. value: SUI (lower P/E); growth: SUI (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: SUI (higher dividend yield); quality: ESS (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, SUI leads 11 to 4.
Is ESS or SUI cheaper?: On trailing earnings, SUI is cheaper: ESS trades at a 33.18 P/E and SUI at 11.01.
Which has grown faster, ESS or SUI?: Over the past five years, SUI grew revenue faster — ESS at a 5.52% CAGR versus SUI at 8.83%.
Does ESS or SUI pay a bigger dividend?: ESS yields 3.51% and SUI yields 3.69% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is ESS or SUI more profitable?: SUI runs the higher net margin — ESS at 30.17% versus SUI at 60.40%.
Which has been the better investment, ESS or SUI?: Over the past 10-year, SUI delivered the higher annualized total return — ESS at 6.58% versus SUI at 8.45%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full ESS analysis Full SUI analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Essex Property Trust P/E ratio Sun Communities P/E ratio Essex Property Trust dividend yield Sun Communities dividend yield Essex Property Trust ROE Sun Communities ROE Essex Property Trust operating margin Sun Communities operating margin Essex Property Trust revenue growth Sun Communities revenue growth Essex Property Trust free cash flow Sun Communities free cash flow

Essex Property Trust & Sun Communities appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Dividend Aristocrats Highest Operating Margin 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 28, 2026.