Lending readiness

Debt-to-Income Ratio Calculator

Enter your gross monthly income and your regular monthly debt payments to calculate your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio, a key number lenders use for mortgages, auto loans and more.

—Debt-to-income ratio
—Total monthly debt
—Income after debts

Calculated on your device. Nothing is uploaded or stored on a server.

How to use the debt-to-income ratio calculator

Enter your gross (before-tax) monthly income, then list every recurring debt payment: housing, auto loans, student loans, minimum credit card payments and anything else. The calculator adds them up and divides by your income.

How lenders use debt-to-income ratio

DTI ratio is your total monthly debt payments divided by your gross monthly income, expressed as a percentage. Mortgage lenders commonly want to see a DTI at or below 36%, with 43% often treated as a hard ceiling for qualified loans, though limits vary by lender and loan type.

Front-end vs. back-end DTI

Lenders sometimes separate housing costs (front-end DTI) from all debts combined (back-end DTI). This calculator shows the back-end ratio, which includes every listed payment.

Gross income, not take-home pay

DTI always uses income before taxes and deductions, so use your gross pay figure, not your net paycheck amount.

Debt-to-income ratio calculator FAQ

Common questions, answered.

What is a good debt-to-income ratio?

Many mortgage lenders prefer a DTI of 36% or lower, and often cap qualified loans around 43%. Lower is generally better and gives you access to more loan options.

Does DTI include groceries and utilities?

No. DTI only counts fixed, recurring debt obligations like loan and credit payments — not everyday living expenses such as groceries, utilities or insurance.

Should I use gross or net income?

Always use gross monthly income (before taxes and deductions), since that's the standard lenders use to calculate DTI.

How can I lower my DTI ratio?

Pay down balances to reduce monthly payments, avoid taking on new debt, or increase your income. Even small reductions in monthly debt payments can meaningfully improve your ratio.

Explore more free tools: Credit Utilization CalculatorStudent Loan Payoff Planner