Boneyard Tools

Debt-to-Income (DTI) Calculator

See how much of your gross monthly income goes to debt. Enter your income, housing payment and other monthly debts to get your front-end and back-end DTI ratios and a sense of how a lender would read them.

How to calculate debt-to-income

  1. Enter your gross monthly income, before tax.
  2. Enter your monthly housing payment, including taxes, insurance and HOA dues.
  3. Add up other monthly debts (cards, auto, student and personal loans) and review your ratios.

Examples

6,000 income, 1,500 housing, 500 other debt

Monthly income 6,000, housing 1,500, other debt 500
Front-end 25%, back-end 33.33%, category Good

Frequently asked questions

What is debt-to-income ratio?

DTI is the share of your gross monthly income that goes to debt payments, shown as a percent. Lenders use it to judge how comfortably you can take on a new loan.

What is the difference between front-end and back-end DTI?

Front-end DTI counts only your housing payment against income. Back-end DTI counts housing plus all other recurring debt, so it is always equal to or higher than the front-end ratio.

What DTI do lenders want to see?

Many conventional lenders look for a back-end DTI of 36 percent or lower, and 43 percent is a common ceiling for a qualified mortgage. Some programs allow higher with strong credit or reserves.

Which debts should I include?

Include the minimum monthly payments on rent or mortgage, credit cards, auto loans, student loans and other installment loans. Leave out utilities, groceries and other living expenses.

How can I lower my DTI?

Pay down balances to cut minimum payments, avoid taking on new debt, or raise your gross income. Even a small drop in monthly obligations can move you into a lower DTI band.

Related tools