Find out how much house you can afford. This free home affordability calculator uses the 28/36 rule to turn your income, debts and down payment into a target home price and max payment.
Estimate based on the 28/36 rule. Lenders also weigh credit, employment and reserves.
Use this free home affordability calculator to find out how much house you can afford. Enter your income, debts, down payment and interest rate to see your target home price and maximum monthly payment.
A home affordability calculator estimates the home price you can comfortably buy. Using your income, debts and down payment, it applies the 28/36 rule to find your maximum monthly payment, then works backward to your affordable home price and loan amount.
Lenders commonly use the 28/36 rule: your housing payment should stay under 28% of gross monthly income, and your total debt (housing plus other debts) under 36%. With a $90,000 income and modest debts, that supports roughly a $2,100 monthly payment and, with a $40,000 down payment at 6.5%, a home price near $309,000.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| 28/36 rule | Housing ≤ 28% of income; total debt ≤ 36%. |
| Front-end ratio | Housing payment as a share of gross income. |
| Back-end ratio (DTI) | All debt payments as a share of gross income. |
| PITI | Principal, interest, taxes and insurance — the full payment. |
A common guideline is the 28/36 rule: keep your housing payment under 28% of gross monthly income and total debt under 36%. With a $90,000 income and a $40,000 down payment at 6.5%, that supports a home around $309,000.
It's a lender guideline: spend no more than 28% of gross monthly income on housing (front-end), and no more than 36% on all debt combined (back-end). This calculator uses whichever limit is lower.
Your down payment adds directly to the price you can buy, since the home price equals your loan amount plus your down payment. A larger down payment also reduces the loan and may avoid mortgage insurance.
Yes. Monthly debts like car and student loans count toward the 36% back-end limit, leaving less room for a mortgage payment and lowering your affordable price.
Yes. You can enter an estimated monthly tax and insurance figure, which is reserved from your payment budget so the resulting home price is realistic.
Yes, this home affordability calculator is completely free, needs no sign-up, and gives instant results directly in your browser.