Deprivation in America

This book extends the literature on multidimensional poverty and economic deprivation by providing insights into the well-being of the US population. Written for policymakers, researchers, economists, and others studying poverty, this resource documents multidimensional deprivation in the US, examines variation in its incidence and intensity across demographic cohorts and geographic locales, and considers the corresponding implications for the American social contract. Multidimensional deprivation is chronicled using data extracted from the 2008–2023 American Community Survey Public Use Microdata surveys (ACS-PUMS). The extensive data, which includes information for nearly 48 million individuals, enable a thorough exploration of multidimensional deprivation in the US, serving as a valuable complement to the official income-based measures of poverty.