How much income do you need to pass the stress test?
You need enough gross income that housing costs at the qualifying rate stay within 39% of it, and all debts within 44%. Enter a price and down payment for your figure, with and without the stress test. The tables below cover $400,000 to $1.5 million, and salaries from $50,000 to $250,000.
Income needed to pass the stress test
The gross household income a price needs at the qualifying rate, and what it would need without the test.
- Without the stress test
- $98,200
- at 4.12%
- Extra income the test asks for
- $20,600
- 21% more
- Mortgage
- $557,820
- insured, incl. premium
- Binding ratio
- GDS
- GDS 39.0%, TDS 42.0%
Estimate, not advice. Educational estimate only, not financial, mortgage, tax or legal advice. Lenders, insurers and governments set their own rules and can change them; confirm with a licensed professional before you decide.
Income needed $118,800 at 6.12%.
Assumptions & sources
Assumptions
- Income is everyone on the mortgage, before tax.
- GDS/TDS limits 39% / 44% (CMHC).
- Qualifying rate: max(contract + 2, 5.25%).
Sources
- OSFI — Minimum qualifying rate for uninsured mortgages (effective January 29, 2026). Checked .
- CMHC — Calculating GDS / TDS. Checked .
- CMHC — Homeowner mortgage loan insurance: Purchase (eligibility). Checked .
| Price and down payment | $750,000, $75,000 down |
|---|---|
| Rate and amortization | 4.12%, 30 years (first-time buyer) |
| Property tax | 0.767% of value a yearToronto 2026 residential: 0.767311% (city + education + City Building Fund). |
| Condo fees, heating, other debts | $520, $100 and $250 a month |
| Qualifying rate | 6.12% |
| Income needed without the test | $129,400At 4.12% |
| Household income needed | $155,100$25,700 more because of the stress test |
The 30-year amortization is open to this buyer only because they're buying their first home; with 25 years the income needed rises. Condo fees count at half in GDS, but $520 a month still moves the answer by thousands of dollars of income.
Open this example in the calculator →Computed November 1, 2026.
Income needed to pass, by price (no other debts)
Computed by the same engine for today's averages: minimum down payment at the 4.12% insured average (2026-08, tested at 6.12%), and 20% down at the 4.58% uninsured average (tested at 6.58%). 25 years, property tax 0.8% of price, heating $100/month, no condo fees, no other debts. Add debts and it rises.
| Price | Minimum down | Income, minimum down | Income, 20% down | 20% down, no stress test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $400,000 | $20,000 | $90,000 | $77,800 | $66,300 |
| $500,000 | $25,000 | $111,700 | $96,400 | $82,100 |
| $600,000 | $35,000 | $132,400 | $115,100 | $97,800 |
| $700,000 | $45,000 | $153,100 | $133,700 | $113,600 |
| $800,000 | $55,000 | $173,800 | $152,400 | $129,400 |
| $900,000 | $65,000 | $194,500 | $171,100 | $145,200 |
| $1,000,000 | $75,000 | $215,100 | $189,700 | $161,000 |
| $1,250,000 | $100,000 | $266,800 | $236,400 | $200,400 |
| $1,500,000 | $300,000 | not insurable | $283,000 | $239,900 |
Estimates from our engine, not lender quotes. The last column shows the same 20%-down purchase qualified at the contract rate, the way some provincially regulated lenders can treat uninsured loans.
How much mortgage can you get on your salary?
The reverse question, from the same engine and the same assumptions: the most a household could buy at each income if it puts down the minimum (insured, tested at 6.12%) or 20% (uninsured, tested at 6.58%), with no other debts.
| Household income | Price, minimum down | Mortgage, minimum down | Price, 20% down | Mortgage, 20% down |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $216,000 | $213,408 | $251,000 | $200,800 |
| $60,000 | $262,000 | $258,856 | $305,000 | $244,000 |
| $70,000 | $308,000 | $304,304 | $358,000 | $286,400 |
| $80,000 | $354,000 | $349,752 | $412,000 | $329,600 |
| $90,000 | $400,000 | $395,200 | $465,000 | $372,000 |
| $100,000 | $446,000 | $440,648 | $519,000 | $415,200 |
| $120,000 | $540,000 | $531,440 | $626,000 | $500,800 |
| $150,000 | $685,000 | $667,160 | $787,000 | $629,600 |
| $200,000 | $927,000 | $893,672 | $1,055,000 | $844,000 |
| $250,000 | $1,168,000 | $1,119,248 | $1,323,000 | $1,058,400 |
Minimum-down mortgages include the default-insurance premium. Other debts lower these figures once TDS binds: each $50 a month of payments costs about $7,728 of mortgage at 6.12%. Estimates, not lender quotes.
How this calculator works
The tool searches for the lowest gross household income at which the price passes every test: the minimum down payment, the insured price cap and amortization rules, and both ratios at the qualifying rate. It then repeats the search at your contract rate to show how much extra income the stress test asks for.
Property tax is entered as a share of the price because it scales with it; use your city's rate (our default of 0.8% is a planning estimate, not a city figure).
Frequently asked questions
How much income do I need for a $500,000 mortgage in Canada?
It depends on the rate, amortization, property tax and your other debts. Use the calculator with your numbers; the table on this page shows typical figures for purchase prices at today's average rates, computed by our engine.
Does a 30-year amortization lower the income I need?
Yes, because the tested payment is lower. With less than 20% down it's only available to first-time buyers and buyers of newly built homes, and it adds 0.20 points to the insurance premium.
Primary sources
- OSFI — Minimum qualifying rate for uninsured mortgages (effective January 29, 2026). Checked .
- CMHC — Calculating GDS / TDS. Checked .
- CMHC — Homeowner mortgage loan insurance: Purchase (eligibility). Checked .
- CMHC — Home Start: 30-year amortization for first-time buyers and new builds. Checked .
- Bank of Canada — Banking and financial statistics: effective rates on new mortgages. Checked .