Debt-to-Income (DTI) Ratio Calculator
.dti-calculator-container {
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;
max-width: 800px;
margin: 0 auto;
padding: 20px;
background-color: #ffffff;
border: 1px solid #e0e0e0;
border-radius: 8px;
box-shadow: 0 2px 10px rgba(0,0,0,0.05);
}
.dti-header {
text-align: center;
margin-bottom: 30px;
border-bottom: 2px solid #0056b3;
padding-bottom: 15px;
}
.dti-header h2 {
color: #333;
margin: 0;
font-size: 28px;
}
.dti-grid {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr;
gap: 30px;
}
@media (max-width: 768px) {
.dti-grid {
grid-template-columns: 1fr;
}
}
.dti-input-section h3, .dti-results-section h3 {
color: #0056b3;
margin-top: 0;
font-size: 18px;
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padding-bottom: 10px;
margin-bottom: 15px;
}
.form-group {
margin-bottom: 15px;
}
.form-group label {
display: block;
margin-bottom: 5px;
font-weight: 600;
color: #555;
font-size: 14px;
}
.input-wrapper {
position: relative;
}
.input-wrapper span {
position: absolute;
left: 10px;
top: 50%;
transform: translateY(-50%);
color: #777;
}
.form-group input {
width: 100%;
padding: 10px 10px 10px 25px;
border: 1px solid #ccc;
border-radius: 4px;
font-size: 16px;
box-sizing: border-box;
}
.form-group input:focus {
border-color: #0056b3;
outline: none;
}
.btn-calculate {
background-color: #0056b3;
color: white;
border: none;
padding: 12px 20px;
width: 100%;
font-size: 16px;
font-weight: bold;
border-radius: 4px;
cursor: pointer;
transition: background 0.3s;
margin-top: 10px;
}
.btn-calculate:hover {
background-color: #004494;
}
.result-box {
background-color: #f8f9fa;
padding: 20px;
border-radius: 6px;
text-align: center;
border: 1px solid #e9ecef;
}
.result-value {
font-size: 48px;
font-weight: bold;
color: #0056b3;
margin: 10px 0;
}
.result-label {
color: #666;
font-size: 14px;
text-transform: uppercase;
letter-spacing: 1px;
}
.result-status {
margin-top: 15px;
padding: 10px;
border-radius: 4px;
font-weight: bold;
}
.status-green { background-color: #d4edda; color: #155724; }
.status-yellow { background-color: #fff3cd; color: #856404; }
.status-red { background-color: #f8d7da; color: #721c24; }
.breakdown-table {
width: 100%;
margin-top: 20px;
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font-size: 14px;
}
.breakdown-table td {
padding: 8px 0;
border-bottom: 1px solid #eee;
}
.breakdown-table td:last-child {
text-align: right;
font-weight: bold;
}
.content-article {
margin-top: 40px;
line-height: 1.6;
color: #333;
}
.content-article h2 {
font-size: 24px;
color: #222;
margin-top: 30px;
}
.content-article p {
margin-bottom: 15px;
}
.content-article ul {
margin-bottom: 20px;
padding-left: 20px;
}
.content-article li {
margin-bottom: 8px;
}
Your Results
| Total Monthly Income: |
$0 |
| Total Monthly Debt: |
$0 |
| Disposable Income (Approx): |
$0 |
Note: Lenders typically look for a DTI ratio below 36%. Ratios above 43% may make it difficult to qualify for a Qualified Mortgage.
Understanding Your Debt-to-Income (DTI) Ratio
The Debt-to-Income (DTI) ratio is one of the most critical metrics lenders use to assess your financial health and ability to repay borrowed money. Unlike your credit score, which measures your credit history, your DTI measures your current capacity to manage monthly payments.
How is DTI Calculated?
The formula for DTI is relatively simple but powerful. It is calculated by dividing your total recurring monthly debt payments by your gross monthly income (income before taxes and deductions).
DTI = (Total Monthly Debt Payments / Gross Monthly Income) x 100
What Do the Numbers Mean?
- 35% or less: Generally viewed as excellent. Lenders see you as a low-risk borrower, and you likely have manageable debt levels.
- 36% to 42%: This is a manageable range, but you might find it harder to qualify for the best interest rates or large loan amounts. Lenders may ask for additional documentation.
- 43% to 49%: This is the "danger zone" for many mortgage lenders. 43% is often the highest DTI a borrower can have to get a Qualified Mortgage.
- 50% or higher: At this level, you are considered high risk. You may struggle to find lenders willing to approve loans, and you likely have limited funds for savings or emergencies.
Front-End vs. Back-End Ratio
There are technically two types of DTI ratios:
- Front-End Ratio: Only includes housing-related expenses (rent/mortgage, property tax, insurance) divided by income. Ideally, this should be under 28%.
- Back-End Ratio: Includes all debts (housing + cards + loans). This is the number calculated above and is the more significant figure for most loan approvals.
How to Lower Your DTI
If your DTI is higher than you'd like, consider these strategies: pay off high-interest credit cards to eliminate monthly minimums, refinance loans to lower monthly payments (though this may increase total interest paid), or look for ways to increase your gross monthly income through side hustles or salary negotiations.
function toggleIncomeLabel() {
var isMonthly = document.getElementById('incomeMonthly').checked;
var label = document.querySelector('label[for="grossIncome"]');
if (isMonthly) {
label.innerText = "Monthly Gross Income (Before Taxes)";
} else {
label.innerText = "Annual Gross Income (Before Taxes)";
}
// Trigger calculation if values exist
calculateDTI();
}
function calculateDTI() {
// 1. Get Inputs
var incomeInput = parseFloat(document.getElementById('grossIncome').value);
var mortgageRent = parseFloat(document.getElementById('mortgageRent').value);
var carLoans = parseFloat(document.getElementById('carLoans').value);
var creditCards = parseFloat(document.getElementById('creditCards').value);
var studentLoans = parseFloat(document.getElementById('studentLoans').value);
var otherDebts = parseFloat(document.getElementById('otherDebts').value);
var incomeType = document.querySelector('input[name="incomeType"]:checked').value;
// 2. Validate Numbers (treat NaN as 0 for debts, require income > 0)
if (isNaN(mortgageRent)) mortgageRent = 0;
if (isNaN(carLoans)) carLoans = 0;
if (isNaN(creditCards)) creditCards = 0;
if (isNaN(studentLoans)) studentLoans = 0;
if (isNaN(otherDebts)) otherDebts = 0;
// Check Income
if (isNaN(incomeInput) || incomeInput <= 0) {
// If income is invalid or empty, we cannot calculate a ratio
document.getElementById('dtiResult').innerText = "0%";
document.getElementById('displayIncome').innerText = "$0";
document.getElementById('displayDebt').innerText = "$0";
document.getElementById('displayDisposable').innerText = "$0";
document.getElementById('dtiStatus').style.display = 'none';
return;
}
// 3. Normalize Income to Monthly
var monthlyIncome = incomeInput;
if (incomeType === 'annual') {
monthlyIncome = incomeInput / 12;
}
// 4. Calculate Total Monthly Debt
var totalMonthlyDebt = mortgageRent + carLoans + creditCards + studentLoans + otherDebts;
// 5. Calculate DTI Ratio
var dtiRatio = (totalMonthlyDebt / monthlyIncome) * 100;
var disposableIncome = monthlyIncome – totalMonthlyDebt;
// 6. Formatting
var dtiFormatted = dtiRatio.toFixed(1) + "%";
var incomeFormatted = "$" + monthlyIncome.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
var debtFormatted = "$" + totalMonthlyDebt.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
var disposableFormatted = "$" + disposableIncome.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
// 7. Update UI
document.getElementById('dtiResult').innerText = dtiFormatted;
document.getElementById('displayIncome').innerText = incomeFormatted;
document.getElementById('displayDebt').innerText = debtFormatted;
document.getElementById('displayDisposable').innerText = disposableFormatted;
// 8. Determine Status
var statusBox = document.getElementById('dtiStatus');
statusBox.style.display = 'block';
statusBox.className = "result-status"; // Reset classes
if (dtiRatio 35 && dtiRatio 43 && dtiRatio < 50) {
statusBox.innerText = "Concerning: Difficulty qualifying for mortgages.";
statusBox.classList.add("status-yellow"); // Darker yellow conceptually
} else {
statusBox.innerText = "High Risk: Aggressive debt reduction recommended.";
statusBox.classList.add("status-red");
}
}