What percent of my income should my mortgage payment be?

A commonly cited guideline is keeping your total housing payment (PITI) under about 28% of gross monthly income, though actual lender debt-to-income limits are usually higher when other debts are low. For self-employed income specifically, it's worth checking that ratio against a leaner month, not just your average, since 1099 income tends to be less consistent than a W-2 paycheck.

What does PITI mean in a mortgage payment?

PITI stands for Principal, Interest, Taxes, and Insurance — the full monthly cost of owning the home, not just the loan repayment itself. Property tax and insurance amounts vary significantly by location, so two identical loans in different areas can have noticeably different total PITI payments.

Can I afford this mortgage if I'm self-employed with variable income?

The right test isn't just whether the payment fits your average month — it's whether it still fits in a leaner month, since self-employment income can fluctuate more than a salaried paycheck. This calculator runs both checks: your typical after-tax income against the payment, and a stress-tested lower-income scenario.

How is a mortgage payment calculator different from a mortgage affordability calculator?

A payment calculator answers what a specific loan would cost you. A payment-impact calculator like this one goes a step further and checks that payment against your actual after-tax income (including a variable-income stress test), while a full affordability calculator works in the other direction, starting from your income to estimate the maximum loan a lender would likely approve.

Mortgage Payment Calculator 2026 | Net-Income Impact

What a Mortgage Payment Really Costs Against Variable Income

A standard mortgage calculator shows you the payment; it doesn't show you what that payment means against income that isn't the same every month. This calculator puts your PITI (principal, interest, taxes, insurance) payment next to your actual after-tax income — including a stress test for a leaner-than-average month, which matters more for 1099 income than a fixed W-2 paycheck.

Why net-income context matters here

Enter your loan amount, rate, and term to calculate the PITI payment
Enter your after-tax income — pulled from the 1099 or W-2 take-home calculators elsewhere in this suite for an accurate 2026 figure
See the payment as a share of your income in a typical month
Run the same payment against a leaner month to check it still holds up if your income is variable, which most standard mortgage calculators don't test for

Mortgage Payment & Net Income Impact Calculator

What a Mortgage Payment Really Costs Against Variable Income

Why net-income context matters here

Frequently asked questions