Estimated household DTI ratios based on typical housing costs and debt levels in each state.
| # | State | Est. DTI ▲ | Visual | Income | COL | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Iowa | 28% | $63,200 | 90 | A+ | |
| #2 | Kansas | 29% | $62,100 | 89 | A+ | |
| #3 | North Dakota | 29% | $64,800 | 93 | A+ | |
| #4 | Michigan | 30% | $63,400 | 89 | A+ | |
| #5 | Nebraska | 30% | $66,500 | 91 | A+ | |
| #6 | West Virginia | 30% | $48,000 | 84 | A+ | |
| #7 | Illinois | 31% | $72,200 | 93 | A+ | |
| #8 | Minnesota | 31% | $77,700 | 97 | A+ | |
| #9 | Missouri | 31% | $61,000 | 88 | A+ | |
| #10 | Pennsylvania | 31% | $67,600 | 94 | A+ | |
| #11 | Alabama | 32% | $56,200 | 87 | A+ | |
| #12 | Alaska | 32% | $77,800 | 127 | A+ | |
| #13 | Arkansas | 32% | $52,100 | 84 | A+ | |
| #14 | Maryland | 32% | $90,200 | 118 | A+ | |
| #15 | Ohio | 32% | $59,300 | 89 | A+ | |
| #16 | Oklahoma | 32% | $55,800 | 86 | A+ | |
| #17 | Wisconsin | 32% | $64,800 | 93 | A+ | |
| #18 | Indiana | 33% | $58,600 | 90 | A+ | |
| #19 | Kentucky | 33% | $55,600 | 87 | A+ | |
| #20 | Louisiana | 33% | $52,300 | 91 | A+ | |
| #21 | Mississippi | 33% | $46,500 | 83 | A+ | |
| #22 | Connecticut | 34% | $83,800 | 121 | A | |
| #23 | South Dakota | 34% | $62,100 | 91 | A | |
| #24 | Delaware | 35% | $69,100 | 102 | A | |
| #25 | Virginia | 35% | $80,600 | 103 | A | |
| #26 | Texas | 37% | $67,300 | 93 | A | |
| #27 | Wyoming | 37% | $65,000 | 95 | A | |
| #28 | New Hampshire | 38% | $83,300 | 112 | A | |
| #29 | Georgia | 40% | $63,400 | 93 | B+ | |
| #30 | New Jersey | 40% | $87,700 | 121 | B+ | |
| #31 | South Carolina | 40% | $56,200 | 92 | B+ | |
| #32 | New Mexico | 42% | $53,000 | 91 | B+ | |
| #33 | Vermont | 42% | $63,400 | 110 | B+ | |
| #34 | Maine | 43% | $63,200 | 109 | B+ | |
| #35 | North Carolina | 43% | $61,000 | 95 | B+ | |
| #36 | Rhode Island | 43% | $71,200 | 109 | B+ | |
| #37 | Massachusetts | 45% | $89,700 | 135 | B | |
| #38 | New York | 45% | $75,900 | 139 | B | |
| #39 | Arizona | 46% | $65,600 | 103 | B | |
| #40 | Tennessee | 46% | $59,700 | 91 | B | |
| #41 | Colorado | 47% | $80,200 | 105 | B | |
| #42 | Florida | 47% | $63,100 | 103 | B | |
| #43 | Nevada | 47% | $64,200 | 104 | B | |
| #44 | Oregon | 47% | $71,200 | 113 | B | |
| #45 | Utah | 47% | $75,600 | 103 | B | |
| #46 | Idaho | 48% | $62,300 | 97 | B | |
| #47 | Washington | 50% | $82,100 | 115 | B | |
| #48 | Montana | 52% | $60,600 | 103 | C | |
| #49 | California | 62% | $84,900 | 142 | F | |
| #50 | Hawaii | 65% | $84,900 | 190 | F |
Based on our analysis of debt-to-income ratios across all 50 states, Iowa ranks #1 with 28%, while Hawaii ranks last at 65%. The national average is 39%.
States with no income tax (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming) generally perform well on affordability metrics due to higher effective take-home pay.
The gap between the best and worst state is significant: 37%. This means your choice of state can make a dramatic difference in your debt-to-income ratios. Use our debt to income calculator to run the numbers for your specific situation.
Iowa ranks #1 with 28%. Kansas and North Dakota round out the top 3.
Hawaii ranks last (#50) with 65%. California and Montana are also among the worst.
The average across all 50 states is 39%. The median is 37%.
This data is calculated using the latest available median income, housing prices, cost of living indices, tax rates, and expense data for each state. Our methodology uses consistent formulas applied to all 50 states for fair comparison.