Debt-to-Income Ratio Calculator

Calculate your DTI ratio and see if you qualify for a mortgage. Compare to FHA and conventional limits.

By Konstantin Iakovlev · Updated September 2026 · Source: CFPB — Consumer Tools

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Monthly Debts
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Debt-to-Income Ratio

0.0%

Excellent

Total Monthly Debts

$0.00

Max New Payment (~43% DTI guideline)

$2,150.00

DTI Analysis

Monthly Gross Income$5,000.00
Total Monthly Debts$0.00
DTI Ratio0.0%

Qualification Notes

Your DTI is at or below ~43%, the level most lenders treat as comfortable. You should fit typical lender guidelines.

Your DTI is within the conservative ~36% guideline many lenders prefer for conventional loans.

Note: there is no fixed 43% DTI cap for a Qualified Mortgage. The CFPB’s General QM rule replaced the old 43% limit with a price-based test (loan APR vs. APOR), so DTI is one factor among many. Lenders’ own guidelines typically fall in the ~43–50% range and vary by program.

Use the Debt-to-Income Ratio Calculator above to calculate your results. Enter your values and see instant results — all calculations run in your browser.

Disclaimer: This calculator is for informational purposes only and does not constitute tax, financial, or legal advice. Results are estimates based on the information you provide and current rates. Always consult a qualified tax professional or financial advisor for advice specific to your situation.

How It Works

Lenders lean heavily on your debt-to-income ratio when they judge whether you can handle a mortgage, which makes it one of the numbers worth knowing before you apply. For pre-approval in 2026, your DTI shapes the terms you are offered and how much scrutiny your file draws, and this tool stacks your figure against the guidelines lenders actually apply. One thing it does not do is treat 43% as a legal cutoff, because since October 1, 2022 there has not been one: the CFPB's General QM Final Rule swapped the old 43% debt-to-income limit for a price-based test that compares the loan's APR against the average prime offer rate.

The ratio comes from dividing your total monthly debt payments by your gross monthly income. The calculation pulls in every recurring obligation, from credit card minimums and student loan payments to auto loans and any existing mortgage or rent, and weighs them against your income before taxes and deductions. The result is expressed as a percentage that shows how much of your earnings already goes toward debt.

Use gross income for this, not your take-home pay, or the ratio will read artificially high. Count the small recurring payments alongside the big loans, since they add up faster than people expect. The detail most applicants overlook is future property taxes and homeowners insurance, which lenders roll into your projected mortgage payment and therefore into the DTI they calculate.

Example: First-Time Homebuyer in 2026

  1. 1 Let's say Jane earns a gross monthly income of $6,000. Her monthly debts include a $300 car payment, $200 in student loan payments, and $100 in minimum credit card payments. She's looking at a house with an estimated principal, interest, taxes, and insurance (PITI) payment of $2,000 per month.
  2. 2 First, we calculate Jane's total monthly debt payments: $300 (car) + $200 (student loans) + $100 (credit cards) + $2,000 (estimated PITI) = $2,600. Next, we divide her total debt by her gross monthly income: $2,600 / $6,000 = 0.4333.
  3. 3 Jane's Debt-to-Income Ratio is approximately 43.33%.
  4. 4 There is no statutory DTI cap to clear. Conventional lenders generally prefer 36% or less and routinely approve into the mid-40s through automated underwriting; FHA files commonly clear 43% under manual underwriting and go higher with compensating factors such as reserves or a strong credit score. Jane's 43.33% lands in the lender-dependent band between roughly 43% and 50%, which is where the calculator flags her: approvable at many lenders, but on terms that will turn on the rest of her file rather than on the ratio alone.

Source: CFPB — Consumer Tools · Last updated: September 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good debt-to-income ratio?
Most mortgage lenders want a DTI of 43% or lower, but that is a lender guideline rather than a rule: the CFPB dropped the 43% Qualified Mortgage cap on October 1, 2022 in favor of a price-based test. FHA files often reach 50% with compensating factors. For the best rates and approval odds, aim for a DTI under 36% with no more than 28% going to housing.
How do I calculate my debt-to-income ratio?
Add up all monthly debt payments (mortgage, car loans, student loans, minimum credit card payments) and divide by your gross monthly income. For example, $2,000 in payments on $6,000 gross income is a 33% DTI.
Does rent count in debt-to-income ratio?
Current rent is not included in DTI when applying for a mortgage because it will be replaced by the new housing payment. However, if you will keep paying rent on another property, that counts as a debt obligation.

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