Dividend Reinvestment (DRIP) Calculator
Project a dividend portfolio with reinvestment, dividend growth and share price appreciation over time.
Your details
Growth
This calculator runs entirely on your device. Nothing you enter is uploaded, stored, or sold. How this works
Portfolio value after 20 years
$187,723
1,179 shares, up from 500 through reinvestment
Includes your inputs, the full breakdown, and every row of the table.
Annual dividend income
$9,076
Yield on original cost
12.83%
Current yield
4.83%
Shares accumulated
1,179
- Starting shares
- 500
- Starting value
- $30,000
- Starting yield
- 4.00%
- Starting annual income
- $1,200
- Value after 20 years
- $187,723
- Income in the final year
- $9,076
| Year | Shares | Price | Annual income | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 520.0 | $63.00 | $1,323 | $32,760 |
| Year 2 | 541.0 | $66.15 | $1,459 | $35,787 |
| Year 3 | 563.1 | $69.46 | $1,609 | $39,108 |
| Year 4 | 586.2 | $72.93 | $1,776 | $42,754 |
| Year 5 | 610.6 | $76.58 | $1,961 | $46,756 |
| Year 6 | 636.2 | $80.41 | $2,166 | $51,153 |
| Year 7 | 663.1 | $84.43 | $2,393 | $55,985 |
| Year 8 | 691.5 | $88.65 | $2,645 | $61,297 |
| Year 9 | 721.3 | $93.08 | $2,925 | $67,139 |
| Year 10 | 752.7 | $97.73 | $3,235 | $73,567 |
What this means
- Yield on cost reaches 12.83% — each original dollar eventually pays that rate annually, even though the stock still yields 4.83% to a new buyer.
- Reinvestment compounds twice: more shares produce more dividends, which buy still more shares, while the dividend per share is also rising.
- In a taxable account, reinvested dividends are taxed in the year received even though you never see the cash, and each reinvestment creates a new cost basis lot to track.
How the dividend reinvestment (drip) calculation works
Dividend reinvestment turns an income stream into a compounding machine. Each payment buys additional shares, those shares generate their own dividends, and the cycle repeats. Layered on top is dividend growth: companies that raise their payout increase the income from every share you already hold, so two separate compounding effects run at once. Over decades this produces results that look implausible when you first project them.
The metric that captures the effect is yield on cost — the current dividend measured against what you originally paid rather than today's price. A stock bought at a three percent yield that raises its dividend by six percent a year is yielding over nine percent on the original purchase after twenty years, while still appearing to yield three percent to anyone buying today. That divergence is the entire argument for holding quality dividend growers for long periods, and it is why the strategy rewards patience more than timing.
Frequently asked questions
What is yield on cost and why does it matter?
It is the current annual dividend divided by your original purchase price. It matters because it shows what your actual invested dollars are earning, which diverges from the quoted yield as the dividend grows. It is a useful measure of a long holding's performance, though it should never drive a decision about whether to buy more today.
Should I always reinvest dividends?
While you are accumulating, generally yes — it is automatic, avoids the temptation to time entries, and compounds without effort. In retirement, or when a position has grown too large, taking the cash lets you spend or rebalance without selling. Reinvesting also concentrates you further into whatever already dominates the portfolio.
Are reinvested dividends taxed?
Yes, in a taxable account. The IRS treats them as received income regardless of whether you take the cash, so you owe tax in that year and must fund it from elsewhere. Each reinvestment also creates a separate cost basis lot, which makes record-keeping tedious. In an IRA or 401(k) none of this applies.
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Disclaimer. This calculator is provided for general information and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, legal, medical, or engineering advice. Results are estimates based on the inputs you provide and the assumptions described above. Confirm any figure with a qualified professional before acting on it.