Wealth and Health: Exploring Asset Poverty as a Key Measure of Financial Security

Abstract

A number of social and economic factors, such as the pov¬erty rate, now guide North Carolina’s efforts to improve health and well-being. Poverty is often measured using income. This is a useful measure of the ability to meet cur¬rent expenses. However, new measures of poverty that use wealth as the variable provide a broader picture of financial well-being.