---
title: "Home affordability calculator"
description: "How much house can I afford from income, debts, and 28/36 DTI guidelines."
htmlPath: "/affordability"
tool: "affordability"
keywords:
  - "how much house can I afford"
  - "home affordability calculator"
  - "28/36 rule"
  - "how much house can I afford with bad credit"
  - "home affordability calculator credit score"
  - "how much house can I afford credit score"
---

# Home affordability calculator — how much house can I afford

- **URL:** https://financeflow.studio/affordability  
- **Markdown:** https://financeflow.studio/ai/affordability.md  
- **Primary keywords:** how much house can I afford; home affordability calculator; 28/36 rule  

## Summary

Estimates **maximum home price and loan** from gross annual income, monthly debts, and front-end/back-end DTI targets (defaults **28% / 36%**). Housing budget accounts for estimated taxes, insurance, HOA, and conventional PMI when applicable. Salary example chips set illustrative incomes. Not a pre-approval.

## Inputs (typical)

- Gross annual income, monthly debts (non-housing)  
- Front-end and back-end DTI targets (locked at 28/36 until unlocked)  
- Down payment ($ / %), rate (or illustrative credit score range; `?credit=`), term, loan type  
- State + editable tax / insurance / PMI / HOA  

## Outputs

- Max home price, max loan amount  
- Monthly housing payment and DTI usage vs targets  
- Payment breakdown and chart  
- Notices when front-end or back-end DTI is over target  

## FAQs

### How much house can I afford?

Enter gross annual income, monthly debts, down payment, rate, and term. The calculator takes the tighter of front-end and back-end housing budgets, subtracts estimated taxes, insurance, HOA, and PMI, then solves for max loan and home price. Educational estimates only—not a pre-approval.

### What is the 28/36 rule for home affordability?

A common educational guideline: housing costs around **28%** of gross monthly income (front-end) and total debt including housing around **36%** (back-end). Defaults are editable. Lenders may use different limits.

### How much house can I afford on my salary?

Use gross annual income (before taxes). Try example income chips or enter your own salary and debts. Does not underwrite overtime, bonuses, or co-borrowers the way a lender would.

### How does credit score affect how much house I can afford?

Credit score ranges only change the illustrative mortgage rate—not DTI targets. Higher rates lower max price; lower rates raise it. No credit pull; not a pre-approval. Example: https://financeflow.studio/affordability?credit=fair

### How does this calculator estimate max home price?

Tighter of front-end and back-end housing budgets → subtract non-P&I housing costs → convert remaining P&I budget to max loan and price using rate, term, and down payment.

### Is this a mortgage pre-approval?

No. Educational only. Not a lender or broker.

## Related tools

- Purchase payment calculator: https://financeflow.studio/ — [purchase.md](https://financeflow.studio/ai/purchase.md)  
- Average home cost by state: https://financeflow.studio/average-home-cost-by-state — [average-home-cost-by-state.md](https://financeflow.studio/ai/average-home-cost-by-state.md)  
- Rent vs buy: https://financeflow.studio/rent-vs-buy — [rent-vs-buy.md](https://financeflow.studio/ai/rent-vs-buy.md)  
- Glossary (DTI): https://financeflow.studio/glossary  

## Disclaimer

Educational estimates only—not underwriting, offers, or advice.