What is a debt-to-income ratio?
A debt-to-income ratio compares monthly debt obligations with monthly gross income. This NumberMotive version shows the ratio as a percentage, the income total, the debt total and an educational category based on that percentage.
The result is an educational estimate from the numbers you type. It is not financial advice, credit approval, a mortgage prediction or a recommendation to borrow.
How a monthly DTI is modeled here
The model is a simple ratio. Every income field is added. Every debt field is added. The ratio is debt divided by income, then multiplied by 100, only when income is greater than $0.00. Categories describe the rounded percentage. They are not a lending result.
Paystubs, credit reports, underwriting rules and loan offers are outside this worksheet. The amounts are whatever you type.
The formulas this calculator uses
Total monthly gross income = primary gross income + secondary gross income + other gross income
Total monthly debt obligations = mortgage or rent + auto loan payments + student loans + credit card minimum payments + personal loans + other debt obligations
Debt-to-income ratio = (total monthly debt obligations ÷ total monthly gross income) × 100, only when income is greater than $0.00. When income is $0.00, the ratio is not estimated. The calculator does not return NaN or Infinity.
Educational categories
The category is an educational label for the rounded percentage:
- Low — below 20%
- Good — 20.00% through 35.99%
- Acceptable — 36.00% through 43.00%
- Needs Improvement — above 43%
Those words describe the worksheet percentage only. They are not a credit result, an underwriting finding or a recommendation to apply for a loan.
Worked example
With $5,000.00 primary gross income, $1,000.00 secondary gross income and $0.00 other gross income, total monthly gross income is $6,000.00.
With $1,200.00 mortgage or rent, $400.00 auto loan payments, $200.00 student loans, $100.00 credit card minimums, $50.00 personal loans and $0.00 other obligations, total monthly debt obligations are $1,950.00. The debt-to-income ratio is 32.50%. The educational category is Good.
Raising the mortgage or rent field to $3,000.00 makes obligations $3,750.00 and the ratio 62.50%, which this worksheet labels Needs Improvement. None of those inputs is a loan offer, an underwriting result or financial advice.
What this calculator does not include
- Paystub, bank or credit-report lookups
- Credit approval, mortgage prediction or underwriting
- A recommendation to borrow or refinance
- Taxes, withholdings or take-home pay
- Automatic tracking or saved history
Limitations of this calculator
- Results are estimates based only on the monthly amounts you enter.
- Each field is a single number. Accounts are not looked up or verified.
- A $0.00 income total does not produce an infinite ratio.
- Educational categories describe the percentage only.
- Scenarios are not saved, emailed or sent to analytics.
Frequently asked questions
What is a debt-to-income ratio?
It compares monthly debt obligations with monthly gross income and shows the result as a percentage. This NumberMotive version also shows the income total, the debt total and an educational category based on that percentage. It is a worksheet figure, not a credit result.
How is DTI calculated?
DTI = (total monthly debt obligations ÷ total monthly gross income) × 100, only when income is greater than $0.00. With the $1,950.00 / $6,000.00 example, the ratio is 32.50%. The calculator does not divide by zero or return Infinity.
What counts as debt obligations?
Obligations are the six amounts you type: mortgage or rent, auto loan payments, student loans, credit card minimum payments, personal loans and other debt obligations. The calculator does not look up statements or assign a recommended payment.
What counts as gross income?
Gross income is the three amounts you type: primary, secondary and other monthly gross income. The calculator does not look up paystubs or convert a net paycheck.
Does rent belong in DTI?
This worksheet includes a mortgage or rent field so you can treat housing as a monthly obligation if you want to. That is a modeling choice for this educational estimate. It is not a lender rule.
Do utilities belong in DTI?
No utility field is included. Electricity, water, internet and similar bills are not added unless you put them in other debt obligations. The calculator does not classify household bills.
Do credit card minimum payments count?
Only the credit card minimum amount you type is added. The field does not look up a statement, an interest rate or a remaining balance.
Are student loans included?
Only the student loan amount you type is added. The field does not look up a servicer, an interest rate or a remaining balance.
What if my income is irregular?
Enter the monthly gross amounts you want to treat as typical for this estimate. The calculator does not annualize irregular pay or average several months.
What if I have no debt?
If every debt field is $0.00 and income is greater than $0.00, the ratio is 0.00% and the educational category is Low. That is a worksheet result, not a credit result.
What if my DTI is over 43%?
If the rounded ratio is greater than 43.00%, the educational category is Needs Improvement. That label describes the percentage only. It is not an underwriting result or a recommendation to change borrowing.
Can a low DTI guarantee loan approval?
No. A Low educational category only describes a worksheet percentage below 20%. It does not predict a lender outcome or say that a loan will be granted.
Can this calculator determine eligibility?
No. The calculator only divides the amounts you type. It does not decide whether anyone can get a loan or a mortgage, and it does not replace underwriting.
Why use gross income instead of net income?
This worksheet uses the gross amounts you type because that is the common educational definition of DTI. It does not convert take-home pay or recommend one figure over the other for a real application.
Does this include taxes?
No. The income fields are the gross amounts you type. Taxes, withholdings and take-home pay are not calculated.
Is this financial advice?
No. It is an educational estimate from numbers you typed. It is not financial advice, a credit result, a mortgage prediction or a recommendation to borrow.
Last reviewed August 25, 2026 (UTC).