Debt-to-Income (DTI) Calculator
Calculate your front-end and back-end DTI ratios — the key numbers lenders review when sizing a mortgage. See exactly what lenders see.
Last updated October 18, 2026
How our math works
- Ratios use gross (pre-tax) income and the minimum debt payments you enter
- Thresholds shown are typical program guidelines (e.g. 28/36 conventional ideal) — lenders apply their own overlays
- Rates shown are interest rates used for estimation only — not APRs and not offers. APR reflects fees and other loan costs and may differ from the interest rate shown.
My scenario
Enter income, debts, price, and rate once. Every calculator pre-fills.
Monthly Income
$
Before taxes — all sources combined
Housing Costs
$
Principal and interest only
$
$
$
Other Monthly Debts
$
$
$
Minimum monthly payments only
$
$
$
28%
Excellent
Housing costs only37%
Acceptable
All debts included$2,800
/month$900
/month$3,700
/month$6,300
63% of incomeDebt Breakdown
Where your monthly obligations go
$3,700 total debts: Mortgage P&I $2,200, Property Tax $450, Insurance $150, Car Payments $450, Student Loans $300, Credit Cards $150.
Mortgage P&I
$2,200
Property Tax
$450
Insurance
$150
Car Payments
$450
Student Loans
$300
Credit Cards
$150
What Lenders See
Typical DTI guidelines for different loan programs
Conventional (Ideal)
Above typical guidelines
Conventional (Max)
May meet typical guidelines
FHA
May meet typical guidelines
VA
May meet typical guidelines
Key Insights
What these numbers mean for you
Insight
Your front-end DTI of 28.0% is within the ideal 28% guideline most lenders prefer for housing costs.
Good News
Your total DTI of 37.0% is above the traditional 36% guideline but within the range conventional loans commonly allow — automated underwriting (Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac) may approve up to about 50% with a strong overall profile.
Insight
Your largest non-housing debt is car payments at $450/mo. Eliminating it would reduce your DTI by 4.5 percentage points.
Insight
With your income, the maximum total housing payment to stay at 28% DTI is $2,800/month.
The Bottom Line
Your front-end DTI is 28% and back-end DTI is 37%. After all debts, you have $6,300 remaining each month (63% of gross income). Your DTI is within the range typical loan program guidelines allow, though final approval depends on automated underwriting and your full financial profile.
Here are the exact formulas behind your numbers. No black boxes — just math.
DTI Ratio Formulas
Front-End DTI
Back-End DTI
Maximum Housing Payment
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Frequently Asked Questions
DTI is your monthly debt payments divided by gross monthly income. Front-end DTI counts only housing costs; back-end DTI adds all other debts — car loans, student loans, credit card minimums. Lenders use both to size the mortgage you qualify for.
Common guidelines: conventional loans allow back-end DTI up to 45% (up to 50% with strong compensating factors via automated underwriting), FHA up to about 50% with compensating factors, and VA focuses on residual income rather than a hard cap. Below 36% is comfortably safe almost everywhere.
Pay off small monthly obligations first — eliminating a $300/month car payment frees roughly $45,000-$50,000 of mortgage capacity, far more than the payoff amount suggests. Avoid new credit lines before applying, and document all income sources.