Debt-to-Income Ratio Calculator

Use this free debt-to-income ratio calculator to measure how much of your gross monthly income is already committed to debt payments. It is built for searches like debt-to-income ratio calculator, DTI calculator, and mortgage DTI calculator.

Interactive calculator

$

Monthly Debt Payments

$
$
$
$
$

Debt-to-Income Ratio

29.6%

Good

Total Monthly Debt

$2,070

Housing DTI

20.0%

DTI guidelines

ExcellentBelow 20%
Good20% โ€“ 35%
Manageable36% โ€“ 43%
High44% โ€“ 50%
Very HighAbove 50%

How the math works

Formula

DTI = (D / I) ร— 100

  • DTIDebt-to-income ratio, expressed as a percentage
  • DTotal monthly debt payments โ€” mortgage, car, student loans, credit cards
  • IGross monthly income โ€” pre-tax, all sources

Plain English

DTI is the single most important number mortgage lenders use to evaluate affordability. Below 36% is healthy; most conventional lenders cap at 43%. Gross income of $6,000/month with $2,000 in debts gives a 33% DTI. Adding a $1,500 mortgage pushes it to 58% โ€” likely too high to qualify without paying down existing debt first.

How to use this calculator

  1. 1

    Enter your gross monthly income and all recurring monthly debt payments.

  2. 2

    Review your total DTI ratio and housing DTI ratio.

  3. 3

    Compare the result with the guideline ranges to understand how lenders may view your profile.

Why this number matters

Lenders use DTI to evaluate borrowing risk, but it is also a useful personal finance metric. A high DTI can limit mortgage eligibility, reduce flexibility, and increase financial stress even when income looks strong on paper.

What this calculator helps you answer

  • โ€ขWhat is my debt-to-income ratio for a mortgage application?
  • โ€ขHow does my housing payment affect total DTI?
  • โ€ขIs my DTI in a range lenders generally consider safe?

Frequently asked questions

What is considered a good debt-to-income ratio?+

Many lenders prefer a DTI below 36%, and mortgage underwriting often uses 43% as an important ceiling. Lower is generally better.

Should rent be included in DTI?+

If you are evaluating housing affordability or comparing with future mortgage costs, including rent or housing payments is useful. For formal lender calculations, use the payment structure relevant to the application.

Does this calculator use gross or net income?+

It uses gross monthly income, which is the common basis for DTI calculations in lending.

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