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Debt-to-Income Ratio Calculator

Find your debt-to-income ratio, with your housing and total debt percentages.

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Use income before tax. Include minimum debt payments such as car loans, student loans and credit cards. Lenders set their own limits, and this is not a loan decision.

Quick Answer

Your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio is your total monthly debt payments divided by your gross monthly income. With $7,500 income, an $1,800 housing payment and $600 of other debts, your DTI is 32.0% and your housing ratio is 24.0%.

Last updated: 2 November 2026 · How we calculate this: front-end and back-end ratios

Table of Contents

How This Debt-to-Income Ratio Calculator Works

Lenders use DTI to compare what you owe each month with what you earn. This calculator shows two figures: the front-end ratio covers housing only, and the back-end ratio covers all your monthly debts.

Quick explanation: DTI = total monthly debts ÷ gross monthly income × 100.

  • Income: before tax.
  • Housing: rent, or your mortgage with taxes and insurance.
  • Other debts: minimum payments on loans and cards.

Core Formulas

  • Front-end ratio: housing ÷ income × 100
  • Back-end ratio: (housing + other debts) ÷ income × 100

The 28/36 guide suggests keeping housing to 28% and all debts to 36%. It is a guide, and many lenders accept other ratios.

Worked Example

You earn $5,000 a month before tax, pay $1,500 for housing, and $500 on a car and a card.

  • Front-end = 1,500 ÷ 5,000 = 30.0%
  • Back-end = 2,000 ÷ 5,000 = 40.0%
  • Both are above the 28/36 guide

How to Lower Your DTI

  • Pay down debts: clearing a small loan removes a whole payment.
  • Avoid new debt: especially before applying for a loan.
  • Raise your income: this also lowers the ratio.

Frequently Asked Questions

Add your monthly debt payments, divide by your gross monthly income, and multiply by 100.

A common guide is 36% or less for all debts, and 28% or less for housing. Lenders set their own limits.

Use gross income, which is your pay before tax.

Housing costs, car loans, student loans, credit card minimums and other regular debt payments. Daily costs like food usually do not count.

Front-end covers housing only. Back-end covers housing plus all other debts.

References & Sources

SourceUsed ForLink
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, What is a debt-to-income ratio Definition of DTI. https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-a-debt-to-income-ratio-en-1791/
Bankrate, What is the 28/36 rule The 28/36 guide. https://www.bankrate.com/mortgages/what-is-the-28-36-rule