Can you afford a $300k, $400k, or $500k house?
Tap a price. Tell us your income. See the verdict — with the monthly payment and the income a lender actually wants you to earn.
Try a price
Tap to jumpAdvanced
What-if scenarios
Stretch — out of reach today
A $400,000 home is a stretch right now.
Your back-end DTI would be 49% — above the 45% ceiling most lenders won’t cross.
Trim the payment by $943/mo
Put more down, lock a better rate, or pay off high-interest debt.
Or earn $31,443+/yr more
Comfortable at this price needs about $116,443 annual income.
Your debt-to-income (DTI)
Total monthly debts ÷ gross monthly income
Monthly payment breakdown
Principal & interest
$2,335
Property tax
$367
Home insurance
$117
PMI
$225
Loan amount $360,000 · Down payment $40,000 · LTV 90%
The rule lenders actually use
Most conventional lenders cap your total monthly debts (housing + car + student loans + credit cards) at 36% of your gross monthly income, and will stretch to 43–50% with strong credit and cash reserves. Your housing payment alone should stay near 28% of gross income. That’s the “28/36 rule.”
The verdict above uses those thresholds to decide whether a given home price is comfortable, tight, or out of reach.
Four levers to afford more
- Rate: a 1% lower rate can raise your max price by roughly 10–12%.
- Down payment: crossing 20% removes PMI, which alone saves $100–$300/month on a typical loan.
- Debts: every $100/month of debt paid off = roughly $15,000–$20,000 more home you can afford.
- Loan term: a 30-year is the default, but many lenders also offer 40-year loans that stretch payments further.
The income you need at a glance
Rough annual income required to afford each price comfortably (36% DTI, 10% down, 6.75% rate, $450/mo existing debts, national-average tax & insurance).
| Home price | Monthly PITI | Comfortable income | Stretch income |
|---|---|---|---|
| $200,000 | ~$1,600 | $55,000 | $43,000 |
| $300,000 | ~$2,350 | $80,000 | $63,000 |
| $400,000 | ~$3,100 | $105,000 | $83,000 |
| $500,000 | ~$3,800 | $130,000 | $105,000 |
| $600,000 | ~$4,550 | $155,000 | $125,000 |
| $750,000 | ~$5,700 | $195,000 | $155,000 |
| $1,000,000 | ~$7,600 | $260,000 | $205,000 |
| $1,500,000 | ~$11,400 | $390,000 | $310,000 |
Comfortable = 36% back-end DTI. Stretch = 45% back-end DTI (lender max for strong profiles). Actual approval depends on credit, reserves, and location.
Frequently asked questions
Related tools
Keep planning with our other free calculators and guides.
Affordability calculator
The full version — tweak every input lenders look at.
Mortgage calculator
See your true monthly PITI for any price and down payment.
Down payment calculator
How long to save 3%, 10%, or 20% — and what each tier changes.
PMI calculator
See what private mortgage insurance adds — and when it drops off.