Debt-to-Income Calculator
Calculate your DTI ratio, check qualification for Conventional, FHA, VA, and USDA loans, find how much mortgage you can afford, and model strategies to improve your DTI.
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How to Use This Calculator
Calculate DTI tab
Enter your gross monthly income and all monthly debt payments: housing, car, student loans, credit card minimums, and other debts. The calculator computes your front-end DTI (housing only) and back-end DTI (all debts), then shows qualification status for Conventional, FHA, VA, and USDA loans. Expand "More options" for alimony, child support, and personal loans.
What Can I Qualify For? tab
Enter your income, existing non-housing debts, and a target DTI percentage. The calculator shows the maximum mortgage you can qualify for at that DTI, the available monthly housing budget, and how much room you have for additional debt before hitting your target.
Improve Your DTI tab
Enter your current DTI and target DTI. The calculator models three improvement strategies: paying off a specific debt, increasing income, and refinancing to lower payments. See each strategy's impact individually and combined, plus estimated months to reach your target.
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Every input is encoded in the URL. Click Share to send your exact scenario to a partner, lender, or financial advisor.
The Formula
Lenders use two DTI ratios to evaluate your borrowing capacity:
Back-End DTI = Total Monthly Debt Payments ÷ Gross Monthly Income × 100
Total Monthly Debts = Housing + Car + Student Loans + Credit Cards + Other Debts
Front-end DTI measures housing costs as a percentage of income. Back-end DTI includes all recurring debt obligations. Lenders weight back-end DTI more heavily because it captures your full debt burden.
Gross monthly income means before taxes and deductions — not your take-home pay. Include salary, bonuses, commissions, rental income, and other documented income sources.
DTI Thresholds by Loan Type (2026)
| Loan Type | Front-End | Back-End (Standard) | Back-End (Max) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional | 28% | 36% | 43% (comp.) / 50% (DU) |
| FHA | 31% | 43% | 50% (comp.) |
| VA | None | 41% guideline | No hard cap |
| USDA | 29% | 41% | 41% (hard cap) |
| QM (Safe Harbor) | — | 43% | 43% (GSE patch expired) |
Compensating factors include significant cash reserves (3+ months PITI), minimal credit utilization, long employment history, or a large down payment (20%+). These allow lenders to approve higher DTI ratios.
Example
James — Software Developer, 31, Austin TX
James earns $7,000/month gross. His monthly debts: mortgage $1,800, car $450, student loans $350, credit cards $200. He wants to know his DTI and what he qualifies for.
Calculate DTI tab
For a conventional loan, James's front-end is fine (25.7% ≤ 28%) but his back-end exceeds the standard 36%. He qualifies with compensating factors (≤43%). FHA: both ratios pass (31/43). VA: passes the 41% guideline. USDA: back-end is over the 41% limit.
Improve Your DTI tab
If James pays off his $5,000 credit card balance, eliminating the $200/month minimum payment, his back-end DTI drops from 40.0% to 37.1%. Combined with a $500/month raise, it drops to 34.7% — comfortably within conventional guidelines.