The reverse of affordability: enter a home price or loan and your costs, and see the yearly income needed at the debt-to-income limits you choose.
Estimates for planning, not financial, tax or legal advice. Figures use US rules unless the page says otherwise.
What this calculator does
Lenders compare your monthly housing payment and your total monthly debts with your gross (before-tax) monthly income. This page turns those ratios around: from the loan you want, it works out the income you need. The 28/36 limits are a common rule of thumb; change them to match a lender.
How it's calculated
Housing payment = principal and interest + property tax ÷ 12 + insurance ÷ 12 + HOA + loan × PMI% ÷ 12
Income for housing limit = housing ÷ housing limit
Income for debt limit = (housing + other debts) ÷ total-debt limit
Income needed = the larger of the two, × 12 for a year
The CFPB defines debt-to-income as all monthly debt payments divided by gross monthly income.
Worked example
A $350,000 home with 10% down needs a $315,000 loan. At 6.5% for 30 years, principal and interest is $1,991.01. Adding $350 tax, $150 insurance and $131.25 PMI gives a $2,622.26 housing payment.
Housing limit: 2,622.26 ÷ 0.28 × 12 = $112,383
Debt limit: (2,622.26 + 500) ÷ 0.36 × 12 = $104,075
Income needed = $112,383 a year
Lender limits
Each loan program sets its own ceiling. For example, Fannie Mae's Selling Guide sets a maximum total DTI of 36% for manually underwritten loans, which can go up to 45% if the borrower meets credit score and reserve requirements, and 50% for loans underwritten through its Desktop Underwriter system. Enter 45 or 50 as the total-debt limit to see those cases.
Limitations
- Lenders also look at credit, savings and job history. Meeting a ratio doesn't guarantee approval.
- Income means stable gross income the lender can document, not take-home pay.
- The table holds your taxes, insurance, HOA and debts fixed for every loan size; real taxes rise with the price.
Sources
How we checked this
Before every update, this calculator is run in a real browser with these known answers, and it must match all of them:
- $350,000, 10% down, 6.5%, 28/36: $112,383 a year ✓
- Same: housing payment $2,622.26 ✓
- $1,500 of other debts: the 36% limit decides, $137,409 ✓
- Table: $300,000 loan needs $108,052 ✓
- Loan only, no taxes or debts: $300,000 needs $81,266 ✓
- 60% rate is rejected ✓
Last checked October 26, 2026. Spotted something wrong? The math is done in your browser with the formula shown on this page, so you can check any result by hand.
Questions people ask
How much income do I need for a $300k mortgage?
At 6.5% for 30 years, with $350 a month of tax, $150 insurance, 0.5% PMI and $500 of other debts, about $108,052 a year at 28/36. With no PMI or debts, and higher limits, it's less. Enter your own numbers above.
How much of a home loan can I qualify for?
Work backward from your income: at a 28% housing limit, your full housing payment can be up to 28% of gross monthly income. The home affordability calculator turns that into a price.
What is the home loan ratio to income?
Two ratios are used: housing costs ÷ gross income (front-end) and all debts ÷ gross income (back-end, or DTI). 28% and 36% are a common rule of thumb, but lenders' maximums vary by program.
Does the income needed include taxes and insurance?
Yes. Lenders count the full payment: principal, interest, property tax, insurance, mortgage insurance and HOA dues, so this calculator does too.
Is the income before or after taxes?
Before. Debt-to-income ratios use gross monthly income.