Debt-to-income ratio calculator: front-end and back-end DTI (2026)
Edited by Moe Ameen · Published
Your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) is your total monthly debt payments divided by your gross monthly income. Pay $2,000 a month on $6,000 of income and your DTI is 33%. Every lender sets its own limit. Fannie Mae's standard cap for manually underwritten mortgages is 36%, and it can reach 50% on loans run through its automated system. Put your numbers in the calculator below to get front-end and back-end DTI.
Key takeaways
- DTI is monthly debt payments divided by gross monthly income, before tax.
- Front-end DTI counts housing only. Back-end DTI counts every debt payment.
- Fannie Mae's published caps are 36%, up to 45% in some cases, and 50% on loans run through its automated system.
- Utilities, groceries, phone bills, and car and health insurance aren't counted.
- Income isn't part of a FICO Score, so DTI isn't either.
How do you calculate your debt-to-income ratio?
Add up your monthly debt payments and divide by your gross monthly income, before tax. Multiply by 100 to get a percentage.
That's the CFPB's definition [1]. Its example: a $1,500 mortgage, a $100 car payment and $400 in other debts come to $2,000 a month. On $6,000 of gross monthly income, that's a DTI of 33% [1]. Investopedia gives the same formula [3].
What counts as debt in a DTI calculation?
Rent or mortgage, car and student loans, card minimums, personal loans, and alimony or child support. Utilities and groceries don't count.
- Housing: rent or mortgage, plus property tax, homeowners or renters insurance and HOA fees [3].
- Credit cards: the minimum payment due, even if you usually pay more [2][3].
- Installment loans: car, student and personal loans [2][3].
- Co-signed loans, alimony and child support [2].
NerdWallet leaves out car insurance, phone bills, food, health insurance and utilities [2]. Investopedia also leaves out retirement contributions [3].
What's the difference between front-end and back-end DTI?
Front-end DTI uses only your housing payment. Back-end DTI adds your car, student loan, card and other monthly debt payments on top.
NerdWallet defines front-end DTI as your projected mortgage payment divided by gross income, and back-end DTI as that payment plus all your other monthly debts, divided by the same income [2]. Investopedia says most lenders prefer a front-end ratio of 28% or less [4]. In the CFPB's example, housing alone comes to $1,500 of $6,000, a front-end ratio of 25%.
What is a good debt-to-income ratio?
There's no single cutoff. Investopedia says lenders generally prefer 36% or less, and NerdWallet calls a back-end DTI under 36% ideal.
| Figure | What it is | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 28% | Front-end ratio most lenders prefer to stay under | Investopedia [4] |
| 36% | Fannie Mae's maximum total DTI for manually underwritten loans | Fannie Mae [5] |
| 45% | How far Fannie Mae lets that maximum stretch when credit score and reserve rules are met | Fannie Mae [5] |
| 50% | Fannie Mae's maximum for loans run through Desktop Underwriter | Fannie Mae [5] |
NerdWallet says you may still get a mortgage with a higher DTI, but you'll likely pay more interest, and your options narrow as DTI nears 50% [2]. Lenders for car loans, personal loans and cards set their own limits.
Is 43% still the DTI limit for a mortgage?
Not as a hard cap for General QM loans. The CFPB swapped it for a limit based on loan pricing in 2020, though NerdWallet still cites 43%.
The CFPB's December 2020 General QM rule replaced the requirement that DTI not exceed 43% with a limit based on the loan's price [6]. NerdWallet still lists 43% as the maximum DTI for a QM loan and says some non-QM loans allow ratios over 50% [7]. Your lender may still use its own limit, so ask which one it applies.
Does your debt-to-income ratio affect your credit score?
Not directly. FICO Scores don't use your income, so they can't use a ratio built on it. Your debts still count as amounts owed.
myFICO lists salary and employment among things its scores don't consider, and puts amounts owed at 30% of a FICO Score [8]. More in does income affect your credit score.
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Debt-to-income calculator
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— debt-to-income
Add your gross monthly income to see your ratio.
Lenders set their own limits, and some count debts differently. This runs in your browser, and nothing you type is sent anywhere or saved.
The calculator does the CFPB's arithmetic [1] and lines your result up against the figures Fannie Mae and Investopedia publish [4][5]. It doesn't predict what a lender will decide.
Is this right for you?
Best for
- Anyone about to apply for a mortgage, car loan or personal loan who wants to know their DTI first.
- Seeing how a new payment, or one paid off, would change your ratio.
Not ideal for
- Predicting a lender's answer. Each lender sets its own limit and may count debts differently.
- Business loan payments. Try the business loan calculator instead.
Frequently asked questions
Is DTI based on gross or net income?
Gross. The CFPB defines it as monthly debt payments divided by gross monthly income [1].
Does rent count in debt-to-income ratio?
Yes. Investopedia lists mortgage or rent payments under housing costs [3]. If you're applying for a mortgage, NerdWallet uses the projected mortgage payment instead [2].
What is a good debt-to-income ratio?
Investopedia says lenders generally prefer 36% or less [3], and Fannie Mae's standard cap for manually underwritten loans is also 36% [5].
Should I use my card's minimum payment or what I actually pay?
The minimum. NerdWallet says to use the minimum due even if you usually pay more [2].
Does DTI show up on my credit report?
No. Income isn't in your credit report or your FICO Score [8]. See does income affect your credit score.
Is the calculator private?
Yes. It runs in your browser, and nothing you type is sent anywhere or saved.
How we know this
On October 29, 2026 we read the CFPB's debt-to-income page and its 2020 General QM rule announcement, section B3-6-02 of Fannie Mae's Selling Guide, NerdWallet's DTI calculator and non-QM pages, Investopedia's pages on DTI and the front-end ratio, and myFICO's page on what's in a FICO Score. The calculator divides what you enter and compares the result with those published figures.
- What is a debt-to-income ratio?, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Checked October 29, 2026.
- Debt-to-income ratio calculator, NerdWallet. Checked October 29, 2026.
- Debt-to-income (DTI) ratio: what's good and how to calculate it, Investopedia. Checked October 29, 2026.
- Front-end ratio: what it is and how to calculate it, Investopedia. Checked October 29, 2026.
- B3-6-02, Debt-to-income ratios, Fannie Mae Selling Guide. Checked October 29, 2026.
- CFPB issues two final rules to promote access to mortgage credit (2020), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Checked October 29, 2026.
- Non-QM loans, NerdWallet. Checked October 29, 2026.
- What's in my FICO Scores?, myFICO. Checked October 29, 2026.