Debt-to-Income Ratio Calculator
🇺🇸 US-specific: the 28% (front-end) / 36% (back-end) thresholds are a conventional US mortgage-underwriting guideline — other countries don't use this same benchmark.
Enter a positive monthly income.
Conventional US mortgage lenders commonly use 28% (front-end) and 36% (back-end) as standard maximums, though some lenders accept higher ratios depending on credit and other factors — these thresholds are guidance, not a guarantee either way.
Free debt-to-income ratio calculator computing both front-end (housing only) and back-end (all debts) DTI, each shown with a color-coded bar against the conventional 28%/36% lender thresholds — so you see at a glance where you stand, not just a bare percentage.
How it works
- Enter your gross monthly income, housing costs, and other monthly debt payments
- See your front-end and back-end DTI ratios, each with a color-coded status bar
- Green means within typical lender comfort zone, amber means above the common maximum, red means well above it
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between front-end and back-end DTI?
Front-end DTI only counts housing costs (rent or mortgage, property tax, insurance, HOA) against your income. Back-end DTI adds every other debt payment on top — credit cards, auto loans, student loans, and so on. Lenders look at both.
What counts as a 'good' DTI?
US conventional mortgage lenders commonly use 28% as the front-end maximum and 36% as the back-end maximum, though some lenders accept ratios up to 43-45% depending on credit and other factors. These are guidelines, not a guarantee of approval or denial either way.
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From the blog
Update history
- 2026-09-01 Added: a cover image (a horizontal gauge bar with a house icon at the low end and scattered bills at the high end, a needle pointing partway across) — used as the card thumbnail, social share image, and blog title image.
- 2026-09-01 Launched: debt-to-income ratio calculator (no button) — front-end and back-end DTI with color-coded status bars against conventional lender thresholds. Entirely client-side.