Debt-to-Income Calculator
Front-end and back-end DTI ratios with the thresholds lenders use.
About this tool
Enter gross monthly income (or tick to use annual) and your monthly payments for housing, car, student loans, credit card minimums, personal loans, support payments and other debts. The tool shows back-end and front-end DTI with a verdict, and how much debt or income would bring you to 36%.
What lenders look for
Debt-to-income ratio is the share of gross monthly income that goes on debt payments. The back-end ratio counts all of them โ mortgage or rent, car loans, student loans, minimum card payments, personal loans and child support or alimony; the front-end ratio counts housing alone. Lenders use DTI because it predicts whether you can absorb a new payment. Common guides: 36% or less is comfortable, 43% is the usual ceiling for a US qualified mortgage, and some programmes stretch to 50%. Use the minimum required payment for each debt, not what you choose to pay, and leave out living costs such as utilities, groceries, phone and subscriptions โ they are not debts in this calculation. Two ways to improve it: pay off a debt with a large monthly payment relative to its balance (often a car loan or a nearly-paid card), or increase documented income. General information, not financial advice; each lender sets its own rules. The home affordability calculator turns DTI into a price, the debt snowball calculator plans payoff, the budget planner finds room, and Gross vs net salary: what comes off your pay, and how to compare offers explains gross income.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good debt-to-income ratio?
36% or below is generally seen as healthy. 43% is a common maximum for mortgages; above 50% most lenders decline.
Do I use gross or net income?
Gross โ your income before tax and deductions. That is what lenders use.
Which payments count as debt?
Mortgage or rent, car, student and personal loans, minimum credit card payments and court-ordered payments. Utilities, groceries and subscriptions do not.
Is my information saved?
No. The calculation runs in your browser and nothing is stored or sent.