Find your debt-to-income ratio — the number lenders use to decide how much you can borrow — and see how much room you have under common mortgage limits.
Front-end DTI = Monthly housing payment ÷ Gross monthly income × 100
How to use the debt-to-income ratio calculator
Enter your gross income — what you earn before tax and deductions — either per year or per month. Then enter your required monthly payments: rent or mortgage, car loans or leases, student loans, the minimum payments on your credit cards and any other loans or legal obligations such as child support. The calculator shows your back-end and front-end ratios, how they compare with common lender limits and how much extra monthly debt you could take on before hitting 36% or 43%.
If you are planning to buy a home, enter the expected new mortgage payment (including property tax, insurance and any mortgage insurance) in place of your rent to see the ratio a lender would calculate.
The debt-to-income formulas
Front-end DTI = Monthly housing payment ÷ Gross monthly income × 100
The back-end ratio — often just called "your DTI" — includes every recurring debt payment. The front-end ratio, also known as the housing ratio, counts only housing costs. Mortgage lenders look at both.
Worked example
You earn $72,000 a year, or $6,000 a month. You pay $1,600 rent, $400 on a car loan, $250 on student loans and $100 in credit card minimums — $2,350 in total.
- Back-end DTI = 2,350 ÷ 6,000 = 39.2%
- Front-end DTI = 1,600 ÷ 6,000 = 26.7%
The housing ratio is within the 28% guideline, but total debt is above the conventional 36% benchmark by $190 a month. You are still under the 43% limit used by many mortgage programs, with $230 a month of headroom. Paying off the car loan would drop your DTI to 32.5% — a big improvement in how lenders see you.
What lenders consider a good DTI
| Back-end DTI | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| 35% or less | Healthy. Debt is manageable and you are likely to qualify for good terms. |
| 36% – 43% | Acceptable for most mortgages, but lenders may look harder at credit and savings. |
| 44% – 49% | High. Some programs still lend with strong compensating factors such as large reserves. |
| 50% or more | Very high. Few lenders will approve new credit, and the budget has little slack. |
Exact limits depend on the loan type and lender. In the US, the 28/36 rule is the classic conventional guideline, FHA loans commonly use 31/43, and automated underwriting can approve some loans up to about 50%. Other countries use different tests: UK lenders focus on affordability assessments and income multiples, while Canadian lenders use gross and total debt service ratios that include heating costs and property tax. The concept is the same everywhere — how much of your income is already spoken for.
What counts as debt — and what does not
Included: rent or mortgage payment (with property tax, home insurance, mortgage insurance and HOA dues), car loans and leases, student loans (even if deferred, lenders may count a percentage of the balance), credit card minimums, personal loans, buy-now-pay-later plans, alimony and child support.
Not included: utilities, groceries, phone and internet, transport costs, health or car insurance premiums, subscriptions and income tax. These still affect your real budget, which is why a comfortable DTI is usually lower than the maximum a lender allows.
How to lower your DTI
- Pay off small installment loans. Clearing a loan removes its whole payment from the calculation. The debt payoff calculator shows the fastest route.
- Reduce card balances, which lowers minimum payments.
- Avoid new credit in the months before a mortgage application.
- Increase documented income, for example by adding a co-borrower or including verifiable side income.
- Choose a cheaper home. See what fits with the house affordability calculator, and plan the rest of your spending with the budget calculator.
This calculator gives an estimate for planning; lenders apply their own rules and verification.
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Calcivia. (2026). Debt-to-Income Ratio Calculator. Retrieved October 31, 2026, from https://www.calcivia.com/debt-to-income-ratio-calculator/"Debt-to-Income Ratio Calculator." Calcivia, 2026, https://www.calcivia.com/debt-to-income-ratio-calculator/. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.<a href="https://www.calcivia.com/debt-to-income-ratio-calculator/">Debt-to-Income Ratio Calculator</a> by Calcivia