How much income do you need to buy a home?
Enter the home price, down payment, housing costs and monthly debts. I'll estimate the gross household income you may need to qualify.
Estimate My Required IncomeSee the qualifying mortgage payment, GDS, TDS and estimated income requirement in one place.
What You'll Find Out
Income required
See an estimated gross household income for the purchase.
Qualifying rate
See the rate used to stress-test the mortgage.
GDS and TDS
See which debt-service ratio is driving the result.
Purchase price
Start with the home price and down payment you are considering.
Housing costs
Add estimated property taxes, heat and condo fees if applicable.
Monthly debts
See how existing monthly debt payments can affect qualification.
Build Your Estimate
Start with the home and the numbers you know.
You can change any of the numbers at any time. The estimated income requirement will update automatically.
Your information
Tell us about the home.
Enter the purchase details, estimated housing costs and monthly debts. Your results will update automatically.
10.0% of the purchase price
Not sure? $100/month is a reasonable starting estimate.
Enter $0 if the property does not have condo fees.
Include loans, leases and other monthly debt obligations.
30-year insured mortgage eligibility
With less than 20% down, a 30-year insured amortization is available to eligible first-time home buyers and buyers of newly constructed homes.
Your results
Here's what we found.
Here’s the estimated income required.
Based on the information you entered, this is the estimated gross household income that may be needed to qualify.
Estimated gross household income required
$157,146
This estimate considers both the cost of carrying the home and the monthly debts you entered.
Estimated total mortgage
$695,925
Includes an estimated $20,925 mortgage insurance premium
Qualifying rate
6.49%
The greater of the contract rate + 2% or 5.25%
Qualifying mortgage payment
$4,657/month
Used for debt-service qualification
Mortgage insurance estimate
Why this income amount?
Mortgage qualification looks at the cost of carrying the home along with your other monthly debts. Both are considered when estimating the income that may be required.
Want to understand how lenders arrive at these numbers? Read What Are GDS and TDS Ratios?
This is a planning estimate, not a mortgage approval. Actual qualification can vary by lender, mortgage insurer, credit profile, income type, property type and other details.
What this means
Your income is only one part of the qualification.
Lenders look at the cost of carrying the home as well as the other monthly debts you already have. That's why two buyers looking at the same home can have different income requirements.
The calculator looks at both gross debt service (GDS) and total debt service (TDS). Whichever calculation requires the higher income becomes the estimate shown in your results.
One thing to remember
An income calculator is useful for planning, but it cannot account for every lender guideline, income type, credit situation or property detail. A full mortgage review looks at the whole picture.
Continue Planning
Continue Your Home Buying Journey
These resources build on what you’ve just learned and can help you take the next step with more confidence.
Down Payment Calculator
See the minimum down payment required and how it affects your estimated mortgage.
Open CalculatorMortgage Payment Planner
Estimate your monthly, bi-weekly or accelerated bi-weekly mortgage payment.
Open PlannerClosing Costs Planner
Estimate property transfer tax, legal fees and other costs beyond the down payment.
Open PlannerA Note from Kiersten
Have a specific home in mind?
This calculator is designed to give you a useful planning estimate. If you have a property in mind, I'd be happy to review the numbers with you and look at the full qualification picture, including your income, debts, down payment and lender options.