What components are considered to calculate debt-to-income ratio?

Asked by: Gabriel Osinski PhD  |  Last update: January 3, 2026
Score: 4.2/5 (29 votes)

To calculate your DTI, you can add up all of your monthly debt payments (the minimum amounts due) and divide by your monthly income. Then, multiply the result by 100 to come up with your ratio. Many lenders will decline your mortgage application if your DTI is over 36%, however some may work with ratios as high as 43%.

What are the components of debt-to-income ratio?

To calculate your debt-to-income ratio:
  • Add up your monthly bills which may include: Monthly rent or house payment. ...
  • Divide the total by your gross monthly income, which is your income before taxes.
  • The result is your DTI, which will be in the form of a percentage. The lower the DTI, the less risky you are to lenders.

What contributes to debt-to-income ratio?

These are some examples of payments included in debt-to-income: Monthly mortgage payments (or rent) Monthly expense for real estate taxes. Monthly expense for home owner's insurance.

What type of income is not included when calculating debt-to-income ratio?

The monthly debt payments included in your back-end DTI calculation typically include your proposed monthly mortgage payment, credit card debt, student loans, car loans, and alimony or child support. Don't include non-debt expenses like utilities, insurance or food.

What is the formula to calculate the debt-to-income ratio?

Add up your monthly debt payments (rent/mortgage payments, student loans, auto loans and your monthly minimum credit card payments). Find your gross monthly income (your monthly income before taxes). Debt-to-income ratio = your monthly debt payments divided by your gross monthly income.

How to Calculate Your Debt to Income Ratios (DTI) First Time Home Buyer Know this!

20 related questions found

Is car insurance considered in debt-to-income ratio?

It does not include health insurance, auto insurance, gas, utilities, cell phone, cable, groceries, or other non-recurring life expenses. The debts evaluated are: Any/all car, credit card, student, mortgage and/or other installment loan payments.

What is a good DTI ratio?

As a general guideline, 43% is the highest DTI ratio a borrower can have and still get qualified for a mortgage. Ideally, lenders prefer a debt-to-income ratio lower than 36%, with no more than 28%–35% of that debt going toward servicing a mortgage.

What bills should be included in debt-to-income ratio?

Expenses To Include In Your DTI Calculations
  • Your rent or monthly mortgage payment.
  • Any monthly homeowners association (HOA) fees.
  • Property taxes.
  • Homeowners insurance payments.
  • Auto loan payments.
  • Student loan payments.
  • Child support or alimony payments.
  • Credit card payments.

What debt is included in debt ratio?

Which debts? Debts include what people call “good” debt—like your mortgage—and what is considered “bad” debt—like the balance on a credit card you used for a trip. Your total debts should include your car loan payment, your 36-month fridge loan payment, etc.

Is tax debt included in debt-to-income ratio?

Determine Your Minimum Monthly Debt Payments

You only need to count the minimum amount you owe every month for each debt, not the account balance. The following types of debt count toward your DTI ratio: Future mortgage (including principal, interest, taxes and insurance) Homeowners association fees.

How to calculate debt ratio?

The debt ratio, or total debt-to-total assets, is calculated by dividing a company's total debt by its total assets. It is also called the debt-to-assets ratio. It is a leverage ratio that defines how much debt a company carries compared to the value of the assets it owns.

How to bring down debt to income ratio?

How to lower your DTI ratio
  1. Increase the amount you pay each month toward your existing debt. You can do this by paying more than the minimum monthly payments for your credit card accounts, for example. ...
  2. Avoid increasing your overall debt. ...
  3. Postpone large purchases. ...
  4. Track your DTI ratio.

Is a mortgage considered debt?

Mortgages are seen as “good debt” by creditors. Since the mortgage debt is secured by the value of your house, lenders see your ability to maintain mortgage payments as a sign of responsible credit use. They also see home ownership, even partial ownership, as a sign of financial stability.

Are property taxes included in the debt-to-income ratio?

You may notice slight variations between different lenders' calculations of DTI, but generally, these amounts are considered debt: Monthly housing costs, including a mortgage, insurance, homeowners' association fees and property taxes.

Does a debt-to-income ratio include all expenses?

Back-End Ratio: Considers all debt payments, including mortgage expenses, credit cards and loans, in comparison to your monthly income. Lenders prefer a front-end ratio of 28% or less for conventional loans and 31% or less for Federal Housing Association (FHA) loans.

What is the maximum DTI for a conventional loan?

A lender could decide not to accept borrowers with a DTI above 45% for a Conventional loan, even though the guidelines allow them to go up to 50%.

What is a good credit score but high debt-to-income ratio?

FHA loans for higher DTI

FHA loans are known for being more lenient with credit and DTI requirements. With a good credit score (580 or higher), you might qualify for an FHA loan with a DTI ratio of up to 50%. This makes FHA loans a popular choice for borrowers with good credit but high debt-to-income ratios.

What is the formula for calculating debt?

Net debt is calculated by subtracting a company's total cash and cash equivalents from its total short-term and long-term debt.

What is a bad income to debt ratio?

Key takeaways. Debt-to-income ratio is your monthly debt obligations compared to your gross monthly income (before taxes), expressed as a percentage. A good debt-to-income ratio is less than or equal to 36%. Any debt-to-income ratio above 43% is considered to be too much debt.

What payments should not be included in debt-to-income ratio?

Your DTI, or debt-to-income ratio, is based on two numbers: Your total recurring monthly debt payments, including student loans, minimum credit card payments, auto loans, child support, alimony, etc. This does not include any non-debt related payments such as rent, groceries, entertainment, utilities, etc.

What is the formula for DTI?

A debt-to-income, or DTI, ratio is calculated by dividing your monthly debt payments by your monthly gross income.

Are groceries considered debt?

You still can qualify for a mortgage if your DTI ratio is higher, but you might have to pay a higher interest rate. Are all of my monthly bills considered debt? No. Everyday expenses like groceries, utilities, cell phone bills, cable bills, car insurance, and health insurance are not factored into the calculation.

Are utilities included in the debt-to-income ratio?

Your debt-to-income ratio does not factor in your monthly rent payments, any medical debt that you might owe, your cable bill, your cell phone bill, utilities, car insurance or health insurance.

What is the 28/36 rule?

According to the 28/36 rule, you should spend no more than 28% of your gross monthly income on housing and no more than 36% on all debts. Housing costs can include: Your monthly mortgage payment. Homeowners Insurance. Private mortgage insurance.

Do you include rent in debt-to-income ratio?

1) Add up the amount you pay each month for debt and recurring financial obligations (such as credit cards, car loans and leases, and student loans). Don't include your rental payment, or other monthly expenses that aren't debts (such as phone and electric bills).