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How Much House Can I Afford? Calculator (28/36 Rule)

Estimate the home price that fits your income, debts, down payment and rate using the 28/36 rule, with the full monthly cost breakdown.

Tool inputs stay in your browser · optional AI search sends your query

Good to know: Scope: a rule-of-thumb home budget in US dollars for a fixed-rate mortgage with monthly payments. It works backward from your gross income: your whole monthly housing cost (principal, interest, property tax, homeowners insurance, HOA and mortgage insurance) stays under the housing percentage (28% by default), and housing plus your other debts stays under the total percentage (36% by default). Not included: loan approval or lender limits (they differ by lender and loan type), FHA/VA/USDA program rules, adjustable rates, points, closing-cost financing, utilities, repairs and your credit score. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau suggests keeping all debts at 36% of gross income or less and a mortgage debt-to-income ratio of 28 to 35%; it counts only principal and interest there, so applying 28% to the whole monthly cost here is the more cautious reading. Change both percentages if you prefer. Closing costs use the CFPB range of 2% to 5% of the price. Everything stays in this browser tab; nothing is sent or saved. Independent ToolsKo estimate. Sources reviewed November 11, 2026.

How to use it (step by step)

  1. 1Enter your household income before taxes for a year, the monthly payments on your other debts (car, student loan, credit card minimums, child support), and the cash you have for a down payment.
  2. 2Enter the interest rate a lender quoted you, the loan length, and your estimates for property tax, homeowners insurance and HOA fees. If you put down less than 20%, ask the lender for the mortgage insurance rate.
  3. 3Read the estimated home price and the monthly cost breakdown. Treat it as a ceiling, not a target, and keep extra cash for closing costs, repairs and an emergency fund.

Words to know

Debt-to-income ratio (DTI)
All your monthly debt payments divided by your income before taxes. $2,000 of debt payments on $6,000 a month of income is a DTI of 33%.
28/36 rule
A common rule of thumb: spend no more than 28% of gross income on housing and no more than 36% on housing plus all other debts.
Gross income
What you earn before taxes and other deductions come out of your paycheck.
Mortgage insurance
A monthly charge lenders usually add when your down payment is under 20%. It protects the lender, not you.

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Sources & methods

References checked November 11, 2026. Read each tool’s scope and assumptions before relying on its result.

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