In a collaboration between diversitydatakids.org and the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University, this consumer guide outlines the different methodological approaches of four family budget measures that seek to measure economic need more comprehensively. The guide describes the key similarities and differences across these measures in terms of their goals and purposes, coverage of various family compositions and geographies, family budget components, and the data and methods used to calculate each component. Our goal has been to provide a concise comparison of these data and methodological choices in order to help researchers and other users determine which measure works best for their particular goals and needs.
The four measures covered by this guide:
