Mortgage Affordability Calculator
Estimate how much house your income can carry using the classic 28/36 rule: housing costs near 28 percent of gross income and total debt near 36 percent. A reality check before you fall in love with a listing.
Using the Mortgage Affordability Calculator: step by step
- Enter your gross annual household income.
- Add your recurring monthly debt payments, car loans, student loans, cards.
- Optionally adjust the down payment and rate assumptions.
- Read the estimated affordable home price and monthly payment breakdown.
What people use the Mortgage Affordability Calculator for
- Setting a realistic price range before house hunting.
- Seeing how a raise or a paid-off car changes buying power.
- Comparing how existing debt constrains the maximum loan.
- Preparing a baseline for conversations with a lender or broker.
Inside the Mortgage Affordability Calculator
The 28/36 guideline is a standard lending heuristic: keep the housing payment, principal, interest, taxes, and insurance, at or below 28 percent of gross monthly income, and keep all debt payments combined at or below 36 percent. The calculator solves for the payment those caps allow and translates it into an approximate home price at your stated rate and down payment. Results are planning estimates, not loan offers.
Limitations worth knowing
Lenders apply their own underwriting rules, and taxes, insurance, and association dues vary by property; treat the output as a planning range, not a pre-approval.
Mortgage Affordability Calculator FAQ
What is the 28/36 rule?
A guideline keeping housing costs under 28 percent of gross income and total debt under 36 percent.
Does the calculator include taxes and insurance?
Yes, the housing payment side of the guideline accounts for principal, interest, taxes, and insurance together.
Is my income information stored?
No. Calculations happen in your browser and nothing financial is transmitted anywhere.
Last reviewed: October 2026.