Debt-to-Income Ratio Calculator
Calculate the debt-to-income ratio lenders use to qualify you for a mortgage. See your front-end and back-end DTI and which loan types you currently qualify for.
Why your DTI ratio matters more than your credit score
Credit score gets the headlines, but DTI is what actually decides loan approval at the margin. Two borrowers with identical 740 credit scores will get different answers if one has 32% DTI and the other has 48% — the lower DTI gets approved with better terms.
The math
Add up every monthly debt payment showing on your credit report (mortgages, auto loans, student loans, credit card minimums, alimony, child support). Divide by your gross monthly income (before tax). Multiply by 100. That's your back-end DTI.
What lenders won't tell you
- Your DTI is calculated using gross income, not take-home. That feels generous, but it's why the math can show you "qualifying" for payments that strain your real budget.
- Student loans on income-driven repayment (IDR) plans use the actual payment shown on your credit report — not 1% of the balance, as some lenders previously assumed.
- Co-signed loans count against your DTI even if someone else makes the payments. The only way out is to refinance the loan to remove your name.
- The DTI cap is a hard line for some loan products and a soft guideline for others. FHA can stretch with compensating factors; conventional QM has a hard 50% cap.
Disclaimer: This calculator provides estimates only. Lenders may apply different DTI caps based on credit score, reserves, and other compensating factors. This is not financial advice.