Free Debt-to-Income Ratio Calculator

Find your DTI — the number lenders check.

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What is the Debt-to-Income Ratio Calculator?

When a lender decides how much you can borrow, one number does a lot of the talking: your debt-to-income ratio. It compares what you owe each month to what you earn, and it's often the difference between an approval and a decline. This calculator works it out and tells you which band you're in.

It runs entirely in your browser — no account, no data leaves your device.

Last updated: Aug 30, 2026

What does this tool do?

You enter your gross monthly income, your housing payment and your other monthly debts. It adds the debts, divides by your income, and shows your DTI as a percentage with a healthy / manageable / high rating and a short note on what lenders typically look for.

It's the same calculation mortgage and loan underwriters use, so you can check yourself before you apply.

Key features

Instant DTI

Your ratio as a clear percentage.

Rating band

Healthy, manageable or high.

Visual bar

See where you sit at a glance.

Private

Runs in your browser; nothing stored.

Lender's view

The same measure underwriters use.

Example

Input

$6,000 income, $1,500 housing, $600 other debt.

Processing

It divides $2,100 by $6,000.

Output

A DTI of 35% — in the healthy band.

Common use cases

Mortgage applicants — Check your ratio before applying.
Borrowers — See if you can take on a loan.
Budgeters — Track debt against income.
Renters — Understand affordability limits.
Debt payers — Watch your DTI improve.
Anyone — Know a number lenders care about.

Benefits

See the ratio lenders judge you on.
Clear healthy/manageable/high rating.
Spot when to pay down debt first.
Free and private.

Tips

Use gross (pre-tax) income — that's what lenders use, not take-home.
Count recurring debt payments (loans, card minimums, housing), not living costs like groceries or utilities.
Below 36% is comfortable; many mortgages cap around 43%, so aim under that before applying.
Paying off a small loan or a card can drop your DTI quickly and improve approval odds.
Lowering DTI often helps more than a slightly higher income when qualifying.

Common mistakes to avoid

Using take-home pay

Fix: DTI uses gross, pre-tax income — using net pay overstates your ratio.

Counting living expenses as debt

Fix: Include loan and card payments and housing, not groceries or utilities.

Forgetting the housing payment

Fix: Your rent or mortgage is part of DTI — include it.

Applying with a high DTI

Fix: Pay down some debt first; dropping below 43% (ideally 36%) helps approval.

How it works

1
Enter your income
Gross monthly, before tax.
2
Add your debts
Housing plus other monthly debt.
3
See your DTI
The ratio and a rating.

Frequently asked questions

36% or below is generally seen as healthy; 43% is a common ceiling for many mortgages. The lower your DTI, the more comfortably you can take on new debt.

Divide your total monthly debt payments (housing plus other debts) by your gross (pre-tax) monthly income, then multiply by 100.

Recurring obligations like rent or mortgage, car and student loans, credit-card minimums and other loan payments — not things like groceries or utilities.

36% or below is generally healthy; 43% is a common ceiling for many mortgages. Lower means you can take on new debt more comfortably.

Divide total monthly debt payments (housing plus other debts) by gross monthly income, then multiply by 100.

Recurring obligations — rent or mortgage, car and student loans, card minimums and other loans — not groceries or utilities.

Yes — free, no sign-up.

Conclusion

See the ratio lenders lean on: total monthly debt over gross income, with a clear rating. Use pre-tax income, count only real debt payments, and if you're near or above 43%, paying down a balance first can meaningfully improve your borrowing power.