Debt-to-Income Calculator
Front-end is housing alone. Back-end adds the debts you already pay. The words on the page describe common teaching ranges. They are not an approval.
Written for Equidwell and last checked in October 2026. We build the calculators on this site. We are not a lender, and this page is not advice for your loan.
How this calculator works
- Front-end DTI is the housing payment divided by gross monthly income.
- Back-end DTI adds car, credit card, student, and other debts to the housing payment, then divides by income.
- A back-end result at or under 36% is described as within a common guideline.
- Above 36% is described in words. Color is not the decision.
Gross income is not take-home pay
DTI uses income before taxes come out. A payment that feels fine against the paycheck can look heavier once the gross number is in the denominator.
Lenders also decide which debts count, and how a student loan is documented. This page uses the monthly amounts you type and stops there.
Sources
Common questions
Is 43% a hard limit?
No. Older qualified-mortgage rules discussed 43%, and many teaching examples still mention 36% and 43%. Lenders set current limits by loan type. This result is not an approval.
Should I include rent?
Include the housing payment you want to test, such as a proposed mortgage. Do not also include the rent that payment would replace.
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